Words: , in the Clu­ni­ac Bre­vi­a­ry, 1686 (Emer­git un­dis et Deo); trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by and the com­pil­ers of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1889.

Music: Ir­ish, mel­o­dy from A Col­lect­ion of Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems, by S. Pow­ell (Dub­lin: 1749).


The Son of Man from Jordan rose,
And prayed to God above;
When lo, the opening heav’ns disclose
A swift descending Dove.

The Spirit, lighting on His brow,
Anoints the Holy One;
The Father’s voice declaring, “Thou
Art My belovèd Son.”

So when, through His baptizing blessed
The Font new birth conveys,
Man kneels a son of God confessed,
Heav’n opens as he prays.

Fair innocency, like the dove’s,
Invests him, purged from sin;
For God the brooding Spirit moves,
Directs and rules within.

O Christ, whose mercy cleansed our stain
With streams of grace divine,
Let us not soil the robes again
Made white in blood of Thine.

Redeemer of a world undone,
We praise Thee and adore,
Jesu, with God the Father One,
And Spirit evermore.