O Come, O Come Emmanuel

See also the Latin Version: Veni, Veni Emmanuel

O come, O come Emmanuel!
Redeem thy captive Israel,
That into exile drear is gone,
Far from the face of God’s dear son,

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou branch of Jesse! Draw
The quarry from the lion’s claw,
From the dread caverns of the grave,
From nether hell, thy people save.

O come, O come, thou dayspring bright!
Pour on our souls thy healing light,
Dispel the long night’s lingering gloom,
And pierce the shadows of the tomb.

O come, thou lord of David’s key!
The royal door fling wide and free;
Safeguard for us the heavenward road,
And bar the way to death’s abode.

O come, O come, Adonai,
Who in thy glorious majesty,
From that high mountain clothed with awe,
Gavest thy folk the elder law.

See also the Latin Version: Veni, Veni Emmanuel

Words: circa 9th century, trans. Thomas Alexander Lacey (1906)
Music: Plainchant, Mode I