’Tis the Day of Resurrection:
Earth! tell it out abroad!
The Passover of gladness!
The Passover of GOD!
From Death to Life Eternal,—
From this world to the sky,
Our CHRIST hath brought us over,
With hymns of victory.

Our hearts be pure from evil,
That we may see aright
The LORD in rays eternal
Of Resurrection-Light:
And, listening to His accents,
May hear, so calm and plain,
His own—All Hail!—and hearing,
May raise the victor strain!

Now let the Heav’ns be joyful!
Let earth her song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph,
And all that is therein:
Invisible and visible
Their notes let all things blend,—
For CHRIST the LORD hath risen,—
Our joy that hath no end.

Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866

Scripture References:
st. 2 = Rev. 1:16, Matt. 28:9
st. 3 = Ps. 19:1, Ps. 150:6, John 16:22

See PHH 389 for information about the origins of this text and John of Damascus.

This text also comes from John's first ode of the "Golden Canon," recognized as his finest work and written around 750. It was traditionally sung at midnight on Easter with the lighting of candles.

John M. Neale's (PHH 342) rather free English translation was published in his Hymns of the Eastern Church (1862). The first stanza uses the Old Testament Passover story as a metaphor for Christ's resurrection (as is customary in all the first odes of a Greek canon). In stanza 2 we, like the New Testament disciples, become witnesses to the risen Lord. Stanza 3 invites the entire cosmos to join in praise to the risen Christ.

Liturgical Use:
Easter, but this marvelous text may be sung any Sunday.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook