Court Odes: Light of the world, and ruler of the year


 Selected item (#2018) = Light of the world, and ruler of the year
 Attributes of this item 
incipit (first line(s), normalized): Light of the world, and ruler of the year
version (if more than one exists): 1709 version
the item's genre (general): ode
the item's genre (specific): New Year
the institution/place or purpose 
for which the work was first destined:
English court
the work's year (or focal date, if known): 1694
author of the text: Matthew Prior
composer of the music: ? Henry Purcell?
Number of texts stored: 1  
  • Selected text (below): #115 / Source: The Literary Works of Matthew Prior (1959), pp. 125–8 / version: 1709 version
    special title: ‘Hymn to the Sun.’
 Selected text (#115) / Source: The Literary Works of Matthew Prior (1959), pp. 125–8  
 Attributes of the selected text 
source for this text
(short title, or library & shelfmark):
The Literary Works of Matthew Prior (1959)
location in the source?
(i.e. which vol., pp. or fols):
pp. 125–8
type of source: secondary, modern scholarship
the source online (if available):
modern edition of this text:
special title (if any): Hymn to the Sun.
version (if more than one exists): 1709 version
about this transcription:
Transcription:          
   File options:

Hymn to the Sun. / Set by Dr. Purcel, and Sung before their Majesties / on New-Years-Day, 1694.

I.

Light of the World, and Ruler of the Year,
With happy Speed begin Thy great Career;
And as Thou dost thy radiant Journies run,
Through every distant Climate own,
That in fair ALBION Thou hast seen
The greatest Prince, the brightest Queen,
That ever sav’d a Land, or blest a Throne,
Since first Thy Beams were spread, or Genial Power was known.

II.

So may Thy Godhead be confest,
As His Infant Months bestow
Springing Wreaths for WILLIAM’S Brow;
As his Summers’s Youth shall shed
Eternal Sweets around MARIA’S Head:
From the Blessings They bestow,
Our Times are dated, and our Aera’s move:
They govern, and enlighten all Below,
As Thou dost all Above.

III.

Let our Hero in the War
Active and fierce, like Thee, appear:
When clad in rising Majesty,
Thou marchest down o’er DELO’S Hills confest,
With all Thy Arrows arm’d, inall Thy Glory drest.
Like Thee, the Hero does his Arms imploy,
The raging PYTHON to destroy.
And give the injur’d Nations Peace and Joy

IV.

From fairest years, and Time’s more happy Stores’
Gather all the smiling Hours:
Such as with friendly Care have guarded
Patriots and Kings in rightful wars:
Such as with Conquet have rewarded
Triumphant Victors happy Cares::
Such as Story has recorded
Sacred to NASSAU’S long renown,
For Countries sav’d, and Battles won.

V.

March Them again in fair Array,
And bid Them form the happy Day,
The happy day design’d to wait
On WILLIAM’s Fame, and EUROPE’s Fate.
Let the happy Day be crown’d
With great Event, and fair Success;
No brighter in the year be found,
But That which brings the Victor home in Peace.

VI.

Again Thy Godhead We implore,
Great in Wisdom as in Power:
Again, for good MARIA’s sake, and Ours,
Chuse out other smiling Hours:
Such as with joyous Wings have fled,
When happy Counsels were advising:
Such as have lucky Omens shed
O’er forming Laws, and Empires rising;
Such as many Courses ran,
hand in Hand, a goodly Train,
To bless the great ELIZA’s reign;
And in the Typic Glory show,
What fuller Bliss MARIA shall bestow.

VII.

As the solemn hours advance,
Mingled send into the Dance
Many fraught with all the Treasures,
Which Thy Eastern Travel views:
Many wing’d with all the Pleasures,
Man can ask, or Heav’n diffuse:
That great MARIA all those Joys may know,
Which, from Her Cares, upon Her Subjects flow.

VIII.

For Thy own Glory sing our Sov’raign’s Praise,
God of Verses and of Days:
Let all Thy tuneful Sons adorn
Their lasting Work with WILLIAM’s Name;
Let chosen Muses yet unborn

Take great MARIA for their future Theam:
Eternal Structures let Them raise,
On WILLIAM’s and MARIA’s Praise:
Nor want new Subject for the Song;
Nor fear they can exhaust the Store;
’Till Nature’s Musick lyes unstrung;
’Till Thou, great God, shalt lose Thy double Pow’r;
And touch Thy Lyre, and shoot Thy Beams no more.


Enquire about this database   |   Account login