Music on Christmas Morning

Music I love--but ne'er a strain

Author: Anne Brontë (1846)
Tune: PATER OMNIUM
Published in 1 hymnal

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Representative Text

1. Music I love—but ne’er a strain
Could kindle raptures so divine,
So grief assuage, so conquer pain,
And rouse this pensive heart of mine;
As that we hear on Christmas morn,
Upon the wintry breezes borne.

2. Though darkness still her empire keep,
And hours must pass, ere morning break;
From troubled dreams, or slumbers deep,
That music kindly bids us wake:
It calls us, with an angel’s voice,
To wake, and worship, and rejoice.

3. To greet with joy the glorious morn,
Which angels welcomed long ago,
When our redeeming Lord was born,
To bring the light of Heaven below;
The powers of darkness to dispel,
And rescue Earth from death and hell.

4. While listening to that sacred strain,
My raptured spirit soars on high;
I seem to hear those songs again
Resounding through the open sky,
That kindled such divine delight,
In those who watched their flocks by night.

5. With them, I celebrate His birth;
Glory to God, in highest Heaven,
Good will to men, and peace on Earth,
To us a Savior King is given;
Our God is come to claim His own,
And Satan’s power is overthrown!

6. A sinless God, for sinful men,
Descends to suffer and to bleed;
Hell must renounce its empire then;
The price is paid, the world is freed,
And Satan’s self must now confess,
That Christ has earned a right to bless.

7. Now holy peace may smile from Heaven,
And heavenly truth from earth shall spring:
The captive’s galling bonds are riven,
For our Redeemer is our King;
And He that gave His blood for men
Will lead us home to God again.

Author: Anne Brontë

Brönté, Anne, sister of Charlotte, and daughter of the Rev. Patrick Bronte, B.A., Vicar of Haworth, Yorkshire, born at Thornton, near Bradford, 1819; died May 28, 1849. Anne Brönté was joint author with her sisters of a small volume of Poems, 1846, and personally of Agnes Grey, 1847; and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1847, her nom de plume being Acton Bell. In 1851 a new edition of Wuthering Heights, by Ellis [Emily] Bell; and Agnes Grey, by Acton [Anne] Bell, was edited, with biographical notes, and selections from their papers by their sister, Charlotte Brönté. These selections consisted of poems and hymns by the two sisters. From those of Anne the following have come into common use:— 1. I hoped that with the brave and strong.… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Music I love--but ne'er a strain
Title: Music on Christmas Morning
Author: Anne Brontë (1846)
Source: Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (London: Aylott and Jones, 1846)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #4387
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The Cyber Hymnal #4387

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