"Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain"
                          by John of Damascus, c. 750
                    Translated by John M. Neale, 1818-1866
                                  Text From:
                              THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
                 (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)



        1. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
        Of triumphant gladness;
        God hath brought His Israel
        Into joy from sadness.
        'Tis the spring of souls today:
        Christ hath burst His prison
        And from three days' sleep in death
        As a sun hath risen.

        2. All the winter of our sins,
        Long and dark, is flying
        From His light, to whom we give
        Laud and praise undying.
        Neither could the gates of death
        Nor the tomb's dark portal
        Nor the watchers nor the seal
        Hold Thee as a mortal.

        3. But today amidst Thine own
        Thou didst stand, bestowing
        That Thy peace which evermore
        Passeth human knowing.
        Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
        Of triumphant gladness;
        God hath brought His Israel
        Into joy from sadness.

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        Notes:
        Hymn #204 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Ex. 15:1-21
        Author: John of Damascus, c. 750
        Translated by: John M. Neale, 1859, alt. ab.
        Titled:"Aisohmen pantes laoi" 
        Tune: "Schwing dich auf"
        1st Published in: _Geistliche Andachten_
        Town: Berlin, 1666
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
           by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may
         freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any
        comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
                  Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

                          E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu

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