Why came He not in splendor

Arrayed in robes of light

And called the world to render

Its homage to His might?

The sparrow finds a gable

Where it may build its nest,

The oxen know a stable

For shelter, food and rest;

Must then my Lord and Savior

A homeless stranger be,

Denied the simplest favor

His lowly creatures see.

O come, my Lord, I pray Thee,

And be my honored guest.

I will in love array Thee

A home within my breast.

It cannot be a stranger

To Thee, who made it free.

Thou shalt find there a manger

Warmed by my love to Thee.

Far different from this song of quiet contemplation is the searching hymn that follows it.

How do we exalt the Father

That He sent His Son to earth.

Many with indifference gather

At His gift of boundless worth.

This is followed by another hymn of praise.

Lift up your voice once more

The Savior to adore.

Let all unite in spirit

And praise the grace and merit

Of Jesus Christ, the Holy,

Our joy and glory solely.

And then comes “The Fairest of Roses”, which a distinguished critic calls “one

of the most perfect lyrics in the Danish language”. This hymn is inspired by a text from the Song of Songs “I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley”.

It is written as an allegory, a somewhat subdued form of expression that in this case serves admirably to convey an impression of restrained fire. Its style is reminiscent of the folk songs, with the first stanza introducing the general theme of the song, the appearance of the rose, that is, of the Savior in a lost and indifferent world. The remainder of the verses are naturally divided into three parts: a description of the dying world in which God causes the rose to appear, a lament over the world’s indifference to the gift which it should have received with joy and gratitude, and a glowing declaration of what the rose means to the

poet himself.

Many chapters have been written about the poetic excellencies of this hymn, such as the perfect balance of its parts, the admirable treatment of the contrast between the rose and the thorns, and the skillful choice of rhymes to underscore the predominating sentiment of each verse. But some of these excellencies have

no doubt been lost in the translation and can be appreciated only by a study of

the original. English translations of the hymn have been made by German-, Swedish-, and Norwegian-American writers, indicating its wide popularity. The

following is but another attempt to produce a more adequate rendering of this beautiful song.

Now found is the fairest of roses,

Midst briars it sweetly reposes.

My Jesus, unsullied and holy,

Abode among sinners most lowly.

Since man his Creator deserted,

And wholly His image perverted,

The world like a desert was lying,

And all in transgressions were dying.

But God, as His promises granted,

A rose in the desert hath planted,