Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
and with fear and trembling stand;
set your minds on things eternal,
for with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descending
comes our homage to command.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
stream before him on the way;
as the Light of light descending
from the realms of endless day
vanquishes the power of evil,
clears the gloom of hell away.
At his feet the six-winged seraphs,
cherubim with sleepless eye,
veil their faces in his presence
as with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia, Lord most high!
Jubilate Hymns version of Sigesato pasa sarx broteia adapted by Gerard Moultrie (1829 – 1885)
© Jubilate Hymns Ltd
The tune “Picardy” is based on a 17th century French carol and was originally used for the folk song “Jésus-Christ s’habille en pauvre”. It was arranged for this hymn by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906. The words are taken from the Byzantine Greek Liturgy of St. James translated by Gerard Moultrie, a third master and chaplain at Shrewsbury School.
