This Advent moon shines cold and clear (Charles H. Giffen)

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Full text version

• CPDL #20475: 

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2009-11-08).   Score information: Letter, 2 pages, 107 kB   Copyright: CPDL May be freely copied, distributed, performed, or recorded. Please inform the composer of any performances of this work.

Edition notes: "Hymnal version" - seven stanzas, one harmonization.

Abridged text versions

• CPDL #20476: 

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2009-11-08).   Score information: Letter (landscape), 2 pages, 135 kB   Copyright: CPDL May be freely copied, distributed, performed, or recorded. Please inform the composer of any performances of this work.

Edition notes: Abridged version, five stanzas in length plus a Doxology, two harmonizations. Corrected edition uploaded 2009-11-16, correcting an error in alto part on p.2, 2nd system, m.4 (third note is F, not G).

• CPDL #20477: 

Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2009-11-08).   Score information: Letter (landscape), 3 pages, 149 kB   Copyright: CPDL May be freely copied, distributed, performed, or recorded. Please inform the composer of any performances of this work.

Edition notes: Abridged version, five stanzas in length plus a Doxology, two harmonizations, with descants for stanza 5 and the Doxology.

See also

• This Advent moon for the anthem that inspired this hymn setting.

General Information

Title: This Advent moon shines cold and clear
Composer: Charles H. Giffen
Lyricist: Christina Rossetti

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB

Genre: Sacred, Hymn

Language: English
Instruments: Organ
Published: 2009

Description: Set to the composer's hymn tune Advent, the text of this hymn is the poem Advent, by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894). The music itself was inspired by the composer's anthem This Advent moon, which sets the first three stanzas of the poem.

External websites:

Original text and translations

English text

Advent by Christina Georgina Rossetti

This Advent moon shines cold and clear,
    These Advent nights are long;
Our lamps have burned year after year
    And still their flame is strong.
'Watchman, what of the night?' we cry,
    Heart-sick with hope deferred:
'No speaking signs are in the sky,'
    Is still the watchman's word.

The Porter watches at the gate,
    The servants watch within;
The watch is long betimes and late,
    The prize is slow to win.
'Watchman, what of the night?' But still
    His answer sounds the same:
'No daybreak tops the utmost hill,
    Nor pale our lamps of flame.'

One to another hear them speak
    The patient virgins wise:
'Surely He is not far to seek'—
    'All night we watch and rise.'
'The days are evil looking back,
    The coming days are dim;
Yet count we not His promise slack,
    But watch and wait for Him.'

One with another, soul with soul,
    They kindle fire from fire:
'Friends watch us who have touched the goal.'
    'They urge us, come up higher.'
'With them shall rest our waysore feet,
    With them is built our home,
With Christ.'—'They sweet, but He most sweet,
    Sweeter than honeycomb.'

There no more parting, no more pain,
    The distant ones brought near,
The lost so long are found again,
    Long lost but longer dear:
Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard,
   Nor heart conceived that rest,
With them our good things long deferred,
    With Jesus Christ our Best.

We weep because the night is long,
    We laugh for day shall rise,
We sing a slow contented song
    And knock at Paradise.
Weeping we hold Him fast, Who wept
    For us, we hold Him fast;
And will not let Him go except
    He bless us first or last.

Weeping we hold Him fast to-night;
    We will not let Him go
Till daybreak smite our wearied sight
    And summer smite the snow:
Then figs shall bud, and dove with dove
   Shall coo the livelong day;
Then He shall say, 'Arise, My love,
    My fair one, come away.'