Words: Liturgy of St. James, 4th Century (Σιγησάτο παρα σὰρξ βροτεία); translated from Greek to English by Gerard Moultrie, 1864.
Music: Picardy, French carol melody; harmony from The English Hymnal, 1906, number 318

* Habakkuk 2:20 “Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in his hand,
Christ our God to Earth de-scend-eth,
Our full homage to de-mand.

King of kins yet born of Mary,
As of old on Earth he stood,
Lord of Lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the hosts of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of [bad word] may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At his feet the six winged seraph, [bad word] with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to his presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Al-le-lu-ia, Al-le-lu-ia 
Al-le-lu-ia, Lord most high!