Tune: Heinlein
('Forty days and forty nights')
Matthew 2 v.13-18
Holy Innocents Day: Dec. 28
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O great horror! O great pain!
When Herod in wrath did deign
Children* under two to kill (*boys)
Working out his evil will
How can we be comforted
When our little ones are dead?
They holy and innocent
They to death unchoosing went
For Herod was outwitted
In a dream wised men were led
Not to return to him there
Place of Saviour's birth not share
For it be dangerous, so
Rival, king Herod did know
Yet a kingdom heavenly
Christ would bring, so would it be
May we, Lord, not be afraid
Where troubles evil has made
Poor, lowly, vulnerable
To help as we hear your call
So to turn the darkest night
From desolation to light
You, Lord, light of the world shine
None can o'ercome light divine
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Author:
orchidee (
Offline) - Published: December 28th, 2020 03:23
- Comment from author about the poem: A hymn-poem in 7.7.7.7. metre. Not sure why I chose 'Intonation' in the title. Maybe because of those bereaved here, and they intone a lamenting song? This event would not have been right near Christmas, as it is said the wise men saw the 'young child'. A tune used for Lent. A jolly Carol tune did not seem apt.
- Category: Spiritual
- Views: 33
Offline)
Comments5
Good one Orchi.
Thanks Gold.
Keep 'em coming.
Thanks M.
Hi Orchidee,
A great write.
Keep writing ✍ and safe during these challenging times.
FineB
Thanks Fine.
Orchi - I enjoyed it. Happy New Year
Thanks Jerry.
I know this tune well - it's commonly sung when the gospel reading is the account in Mark of when Jesus, right after John Baptist baptizes him in the Jordan, goes into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The tune is variously called HEINLEIN or AUS TIEFER NOT. It's difficult to separate that text from the tune.
You might consider, as an aid to the singer, accenting syllables with unexpected stresses: thus "When Heród in wrath did deign"
Thanks Robert. I may use them occasionally, e.g. in 'Blesséd' (makes it two syllables). If it is 'Blessed', it can sound like 'blest' (one syllable).
Or cut down a syllable, e.g. 'e'er' for 'ever'.
Convention here: blessed might be pronounced blest. Blessèd (grave accent) means pronounced but not accented. Blesséd (acute accent) would be stressed on the second syllable, bless-SED.
Gerard Manley Hopkins occasionally uses acute accents to mark unexpected syllabic stresses.
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