Jesu, the Father’s Only Son

Jesu

the Fa­ther’s on­ly Son

Whose death for all re­demp­tion won

Before the worlds

of God most high

Begotten all in­ef­fa­bly.

The Fa­ther’s light and splen­dor Thou

Their end­less hope to Thee that bow;

Accept the pray­ers and praise to­day

That through the world Thy serv­ants pray.

Salvation’s au­thor

call to mind

Thou took’st the form of hu­man­kind

When of the vir­gin un­de­filed

Thou

in man’s flesh

be­came a child.

Thus tes­ti­fies the pre­sent day

Through ev­ery year in long ar­ray

That Thou

sal­va­tion’s source alone

Proceedest from the Fa­ther’s throne.

Whence sky

and stars

and sea’s ab­yss

And earth

and all that there­in is

Shall still with laud and car­ol meet

The Au­thor of Thine ad­vent greet.

And we who

by Thy pre­cious blood

From sin re­deemed

are marked for God

On this the day that saw Thy birth

Sing the new song of ran­somed earth.

For that Thine ad­vent glo­ry be

O Je­su

vir­gin born

to Thee!

With Fa­ther

and with Ho­ly Ghost

From men and from the heav’n­ly host.