O come, O come Emmanuel

General information

Translation of Veni veni Emmanuel by John Mason Neale, usually sung to the tune VENI EMMANUEL.

Notes on selected settings

• Traditional SATB, SAATBB or TTBB.

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Anonymous — Ak, nāc, ak, nāc, Emanuel  Latvian SATB
• Charles Gounod — O come, O come Emmanuel  English SATB
• Michael J. Drake, Jr. — Veni Emmanuel  Latin SATB, SSA, TTB
• Traditional — Veni, veni Emmanuel (O come, O come Emmanuel)  English 2 equal voices

Works that currently have no editions available:

• Zoltán Kodály — Adventi ének

Text and translations

English text J. M. Neale, 1851 Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear; Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel! Draw nigh, O Jesse's Rod, draw nigh, To free us from the enemy; From Hell's infernal pit to save, And give us victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born, for thee, O Israel! Draw nigh, Thou Orient, Who shalt cheer And comfort by Thine Advent here, And banish far the brooding gloom Of sinful night and endless doom. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel! Draw nigh, draw nigh, O David's Key, The Heavenly Gate will ope to Thee ; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel! Draw nigh, draw nigh, O Lord of Might, Who to Thy tribes from Sinai's height In ancient time didst give the Law, In cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

English text Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861) O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high, And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heav'nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Adonai, Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height, In ancient times didst give the law In cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Latin text 1  Veni, veni, Emmanuel captivum solve Israel, qui gemit in exsilio, privatus Dei Filio. R:  Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel! 2  Veni, O Iesse virgula, ex hostis tuos ungula, de spectu tuos tartari educ et antro barathri. 3  Veni, veni O Oriens, solare nos adveniens, noctis depelle nebulas, dirasque mortis tenebras. 4  Veni, Clavis Davidica, regna reclude caelica, fac iter tutum superum, et claude vias inferum. 5  Veni, veni, Adonai, qui populo in Sinai legem dedisti vertice in maiestate gloriae.

Additional stanzas from Cantiones Sacrae (1878)

2 verses were later added in order to have a stanza for each of the O antiphons sung beginning December 17. The corresponding order would be O sapientia below, vv. 5, 2, 4, 3 above, Rex Gentium below and last v. 1 above.

English text O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, And order all things, far and nigh; To us the path of knowledge show, And cause us in her ways to go. O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind; Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. trans. H. S. Coffin (1916)

Latin text Veni, O Sapientia, Quae hic disponis omnia, Veni, viam prudentiae Ut doceas et gloriae. Veni, Veni, Rex Gentium, Veni, Redemptor omnium, Ut salves tuos famulos Peccati sibi conscios.

Latvian text

1. Ak, nāc, ak, nāc, Emanuel,
lai brīvs ir atkal Izraels,
kas svešniecības gūstā smok,
līdz Dieva Dēls to atbrīvo.
Prieks tev! Prieks tev!
Ak, Izrael, pie tevis nāk Emanuels!

2. Ak, nāc, Tu Dieva Gudrība,
kas visu māca pilnībā,
lai ejam ceļu pareizo,
mums taku rādi zinībā.
Prieks tev! Prieks tev!
Ak, Izrael, pie tevis nāk Emanuels!

3. Ak, nāc, Tu avots spirdzinošs,
un veldzē slāpes cilvēkos,
lai drūmā tumsa izbeidzas
un nāvei nav vairs uzvaras.
Prieks tev! Prieks tev!
Ak, Izrael, pie tevis nāk Emanuels!

4. Ak, nāc, Tu tautu cerība
un ilgošanās vienība,
Tu, ļaunā važas sarāvis,
mums būsi Miera Karalis!
Prieks tev! Prieks tev!
Ak, Izrael, pie tevis nāk Emanuels!