As with Gladness Men of Old
As with Gladness Men of Old | |
---|---|
Genre | Hymn |
Written | 1859 |
Text | William Chatterton Dix |
Based on | Matthew 2:1-12 |
Meter | 7.7.7.7.7.7 |
Melody | "Dix" by Conrad Kocher |
"As with Gladness Men of Old" is an
History
Dix, as the son of poet John Ross Dix and named after Thomas Chatterton, would regularly write Christian poetry in his spare time.[4] Dix wrote "As with Gladness Men of Old" on 6 January 1859 during a months-long recovery from an extended illness, unable to attend that morning's Epiphany service at church.[4][5] As he read the Gospel of Matthew's account of Epiphany in The Bible, he was inspired and started to reflect on the text.[6] He then started to write about his thoughts and did so for the whole day with the eventual result being "As with Gladness Men of Old".[4]
Dix kept the text private until a year later when it was published in Hymns for Public Worship and Private Devotion, which was written for St Raphael's Church in Dix's hometown of
The editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, William Henry Monk, adapted a tune by Stuttgart organist Conrad Kocher as the music for "As with Gladness Men of Old". The tune originally consisted of a 7.6.7.6.7.7.6 metre, but Monk removed the fifth phrase to create a more balanced tune.[8] Dix personally did not like the tune, which was ironic as it was later titled "Dix" as a tribute to him.[1] Despite Dix's opinion of it, the tune became popular and is used for the majority of performances of the hymn.[1] The same melody is also used in the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth", an example of what is often considered to be a seasonal hymn melody given to a more general hymn text for use in Ordinary Time.[1][9]
Publication and use
After publication, the hymn proved popular in both the Church of England and in other Anglican churches throughout the British Empire. This rise in popularity is attributed to the future
In 1871, the hymn was first published in the United States in the
Analysis
"As with Gladness Men of Old" used Matthew 2:1–12 as a theme to compare the journey of the Biblical magi to visit the baby Jesus to each Christian's personal pilgrimage and as a reminder that it is not the value of the gifts, it is the value of giving and adoration to Jesus that is what Christians should seek.[6][19] It is the only well-known Epiphany hymn or carol about the Biblical magi that avoids referring to them as either "magi" or "kings" and does not state how many there were.[1]
Lyrics
As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold
As with joy they hailed its light
Leading onward, beaming bright
So, most gracious God, may we
Evermore be led to Thee
As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly cradle bed
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek Thy mercy-seat
As they offered gifts most rare
At that cradle rude and bare
So may we with holy joy
Pure, and free from sin's alloy
All our costliest treasures bring
Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King
Holy Jesus, every day
Keep us in the narrow way
And, when earthly things are past
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.
In the heavenly country bright
Need they no created light
Thou its light, its joy, its crown
Thou its sun, which goes not down.
There forever may we sing
Hallelujahs to our King
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 1-56024-974-9.
- ^ ISBN 1853110027.
- ^ "As With Gladness, Men of Old". Church of England. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ^ ISBN 0788015265.
- ISBN 978-0849947131.
- ^ a b c "As with gladness, men of old". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ^ "As with gladness men of old". The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
- ^ "As with gladness, men of old – Dix". Hyperion Records. 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ISBN 0789000997.
- ^ "For sale: Mural filled historic church built in 1871. Price $1". CBC. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ISBN 0060654724.
- ^ Busby, Mattha (2017-12-31). "'Is that a terrorist?' Prince Philip makes joke about bearded bystander". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
- ^ "As with gladness men of old; Hymn-anthem". Library of Congress. 1939-10-26. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ISBN 9780898691436.
- ISBN 978-1-333-32158-1.
- ^ The Methodist Woman. Vol. 27. UMC Joint Commission on Education and Cultivation. 1995. p. 134.
- ^ "As with Gladness - new-era". LDS. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ISBN 978-0-674-38000-4.
- ISBN 1414331401.