O God, the Holy Ghost-- The choicest gifts are Thine; Grant us the grace we covet most, And virtues most divine; And with Thy purifying fire, Consume, we pray, our vain desire.
O God, the Holy Ghost, With strength our weakness brace, That e'en the threatenings of a host We may with courage face; And put satanic power to flight, That bears upon our souls with might.
O God, the Holy Ghost, Our soul's enduring Friend, For all the gifts of Pentecost Our grateful songs ascend;-- Thee, with the Father, and the Son We worship, glorious Three in One.
{ hê tês Triados ephanerôthê proskynêsis;}
When Jesus to the Jordan came To honour there the rite divine, Then, to the world, His awful claim Was witnessed by the Godhead Trine.
From heaven the Father's voice declared His pleasure and paternal love; And lo! the Holy Ghost appeared, And wore the likeness of a Dove.
Thrice holy, Jesus Christ, art Thou, By Father and by Spirit blessed; We see Thee at the Jordan now, And hear Thy Godhead there expressed.
Now to the Father glory be, And to the Son beloved by God, And to the Spirit, endlessly, In heaven and all the earth abroad.
{ metemorphôthês en tô orei Christe ho Theos,}
{ deixas tois mathêtais sou tên doxan sou, kathôs êdynanto.}
When on the mount the Lord appeared Transfigured to the sight, His countenance was like the sun, His raiment glistened white.
But dull the minds, and dark the eyes, On whom such glory shone; They saw not God upon the mount, They saw but man alone.
And when the dark and cloudy days Of death and sorrow came, What were their thoughts of Him who hung Upon the cross of shame?
They knew not that the God of Life An offering yielded there, And of His will endured for all The load of sin He bare.
Lord, to the mount where Thou art seen In all Thy glory bright, Thy servants now would wend their way To gaze upon the Light,
And there behold, in glory clad, The Light to mortals given, That in the night that hid the cross, Shone with the light of heaven.
Behold, the King of Zion rides, But not in vain array; The people wave their goodly palms, With garments strew the way; And loud hosannas fill the air From crowds that, surging, throng; 'Tis meet to honour Him Who rides With cheer, and shout, and song.