This translation is by English Anglican priest, scholar and hymnwriter, and later Roman Catholic convert-priest Edward Caswall (1814-1878). It was originally published in "Hymns and Poems: Original and Translated" in
1873. Publications have sometimes listed it as "Blessed Anna... " or "Holy Anna ...".
The text has meter 87.87.
The original tune is now unknown. The hymn was included in the American Catholic Hymnal, P. J. Kenedy & Sons, New York, USA, 1913 - set to a tune/arrangement by Carl Hauser. Other tunes it has been set to include AUSTRIA, composed by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) in 1797.
Downloads
This section may contain affiliate links: I earn from qualifying purchases on these. Free downloads are provided where possible (eg for public domain items).
Examples
Instrumental - piano
Lyrics
Holy(*) Anna! Judah’s glory!through the Church from east to west
ev’ry tongue proclaims thy praises,
Holy Mary’s Mother Blest.
Chorus:
Under thy protecting banner,
here assembled in thy name,
Mary’s mother, gracious Anna,
grace and help of thee we claim!
Saintly kings and priestly forbears
blended in thy sacred line;
thou in virtue those before thee
didst excel by grace divine.
Linked in bonds of purest wedlock,
thine it was for us to bear,
by the favour of high heaven,
our salvation’s morning star.
From thy stem in beauty blossomed
ancient Jesse’s mystic rod;
earth from thee received the Mother
of th’almighty Son of God.
All the human race benighted
in the depth of darkness lay;
when in Anne it saw the dawning
of the long-expected day.
Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
be to Thee, O Virgin’s Son!
with the Father and the Spirit,
while eternal ages run.
Bless all St Anne
ReplyDelete