Friday, December 24, 1999
Christmas Eve

High o’er the lonely hills black turns to gray,

Bird-song the valley fills, mists fold away

Gray wakes to green again,

Beauty is seen again,

Gold and serene again dawneth the day.

 

So, o’er the hills of life, stormy, forlorn,

Out of the cloud and strife sunrise is born;

Swift grows the light for us,

Ended is night for us,

Soundless and bright for us breaketh God’s morn.

 

Hear we no beat of drums, fanfare, nor cry,

When Christ the herald comes quietly nigh;

Splendor He makes on earth;

Color awakes on earth;

Suddenly breaks on earth light from the sky.

 

Bid then farewell to sleep: rise up and run!

What though the hill be steep? Strength’s in the sun.

Now you shall find at last

Night’s left behind at last,

And for mankind at last, Day has begun!

... Jan Struther (1901-1953), Songs of Praise, enl. ed., Ralph Vaughan Williams, et al., ed., Oxford University Press, 1931, n. 63, p. 19 (see the book; see also John 8:12; Matt. 4:13-16; Isa. 9:2; 60:1-3; Luke 1:76-79; 2:30-32; John 1:9; 9:5; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:4-5; 1 John 1:5-7; more at Beginning, Christ, Christmas, Day, Earth, Sleep)

 
Compilation Copyright, 1996-2024, by Robert McAnally Adams,
        Curator, Christian Quotation of the Day,
        with Robert Douglas, principal contributor
Logo image Copyright 1996 by Shay Barsabe, of “Simple GIFs”, by kind permission.
Send comments to curator@cqod.com.

Last updated: 12/08/16

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