O CHRISTE, QUI NOSTER POLI

Of unknown date and authorship. The text is in Daniel's Thesaurus, with "Alleluia" as a refrain. Dr. Neale gives it in his "Mediæval Hymns and Sequences" as "apparently of the twelfth century."

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
To-day the lingering clouds are riven,
Alleluia!
Our glorious King ascends to heaven,
Alleluia!
The heaven and earth His rule obey,
Alleluia!
Who sits at God's right hand for aye,
Alleluia!
See, all things are fulfilled at last,
Alleluia!
By David sung in ages past,
Alleluia!
And on the throne of high renown,
Alleluia!
The Lord is with His Lord set down,
Alleluia!
Now blessings on our Lord we shower,
Alleluia!
In this chief triumph of His power,
Alleluia!
Let praise the Trinity adore,
Alleluia!
To God be glory evermore,
Alleluia!

Appeared in the Cluniac Breviary of 1686, and in that of Paris, 1736, as also in later French Breviaries. From his connection with the revised Paris Breviary, this hymn has been ascribed to Archbishop Charles de Vintimille, born 1655, died 1746; but in neither the Cluniac nor Paris Breviary is it marked as his. Chandler's version of the hymn, beginning, "O Jesu, who art gone before, To Thy blest realms of light," appears in Dr. Martineau's "Hymns of Praise and Prayer," with opening lines altered to, "The Crucified is gone before, To the blest realms of light," and with other variations.

I
II
III
IV
V
O Christ, who art ascended now
To realms of bliss above,
Inspire our souls to rise to Thee,
Upborne by faith and love.
Make us to seek those holy joys,
That they who love receive;
That earthly mind can never know,
Nor faithless soul perceive.
There, where Thou art, they reap reward
Who toiled at duty's call;
For Thou dost give Thyself to them,
And Thou art all in all.
By power divine, O let us come
Where glory cannot fade;
And from Thy heavenly throne send down
The Spirit to our aid.
To Thee who art at God's right hand,
O Christ, to Thee be praise,
To Father, and to Holy Ghost,
Be glory given always.