Vespers: Saturday Evening1

How mighty are the Sabbaths,

     How mighty and how deep,

That the high courts of heaven

     To everlasting keep.

What peace unto the weary,

     What pride unto the strong,

When God in whom are all things

     Shall be all things to men.

Jerusalem is the city

     Of everlasting peace,

A peace that is surpassing

     And utter blessedness;

Where finds the dreamer waking

     Truth beyond dreaming far,

Nor is the heart’s possessing

     Less than the heart’s desire.

But of the courts of heaven

     And him who is the King,

The rest and the refreshing,

     The joy that is therein,

Let those that know it answer

     Who in that bliss have part,

If any word can utter

     The fullness of the heart.

Nostrum est interim

     mentem erigere

et totis patriam

     votis appetere,

et ad Jerusalem

     a Babylonia

post longa regredi

     tandem exsilia.

Illic, molestiis

     finitis omnibus,

securi cantica

     Sion cantabimus,

et iuges gratias

     de donis gratiae

beata referet

     plebs tibi, Domine.

Illic ex Sabbato

     succedit Sabbatum,

perpes laetitia

     sabbatizantium,

nec ineffabiles

     cessabunt iubili,

quos decantabimus

     et nos et angeli.

Perenni Domino

     perpes sit gloria,

ex quo sunt, per quem sunt,

     in quo sunt omnia.

ex quo sunt, Pater est,

     per quem sunt, Filius,

in quo sunt, Patris et

     Filii Spiritus.

But ours, with minds uplifted

     Unto the heights of God,

With our whole heart’s desiring,

     To take the homeward road,

And the long exile over,

     Captive in Babylon,

Again unto Jerusalem,

     To win at last return.

There, all vexation ended,

     And from all grieving free,

We sing the song of Zion

     In deep security.

And everlasting praises

     For all thy gifts of grace

Rise from thy happy people,

     Lord of our blessedness.

There Sabbath unto Sabbath

     Succeeds eternally,

The joy that has no ending

     Of souls in holiday.

And never shall the rapture

     Beyond all mortal ken

Cease from the eternal chorus

     That angels sing with men.

Now to the King Eternal

     Be praise eternally,

From whom are all things, by whom

     And in whom all things be.

From whom, as from the Father,

     By whom, as by the Son,

In whom, as in the Spirit,

     Father and Son in one.