And brought us joy again,

That He in death descended,

Like sun when day is ended,

And rose on Easter morn

With life and joy reborn.

He hath for every grief

Brought relief.

Each grateful heart His praises

Now raises.

With angels at the manger,

We sing the Savior’s birth,

Who wrought release from danger

And peace to man on earth,

Who satisfies our yearning,

And grief to joy is turning

Till we with Him arise

And dwell in Paradise.

The earliest Danish texts were translations from the Latin. Of these the fine translations of the well known hymns, “Stabat Mater Dolorosa”, and “Dies Est

Laetitia in Ortu Regali”, are still used, the latter especially in Grundtvig’s beautiful recast “Joy is the Guest of Earth Today”.

At a somewhat later period, but still well in advance of the Reformation, the first original Danish hymns must have appeared. Foremost among these, we may mention the splendid hymns, “I Will Now Hymn His Praises Who All My Sin Hath Borne”, “On Mary, Virgin Undefiled, Did God Bestow His Favor”, and the

beautiful advent hymn, “O Bride of Christ, Rejoice”, all hymns that breathe a truly Evangelical spirit and testify to a remarkable skill in the use of a language then so sorely neglected.

Best known of all Pre-Reformation songs in Danish is “The Old Christian Day

Song”—the name under which it was printed by Hans Thomisson. Of the three

manuscript copies of this song, which are preserved in the library of Upsala, Sweden, the oldest is commonly dated at “not later than 1450”. The song itself,

however, is thought to be much older, dating probably from the latter part of the 14th century. Its place of origin is uncertain, with both Sweden and Denmark contending for the honor. The fact that the text printed by Hans Thomisson is identical, except for minor variations in dialect, with that of the oldest Swedish manuscript proves, at least, that the same version was also current in Danish, and that no conclusion as to its origin can now be drawn from the chance preservation of its text in Sweden. The following translation is based on Grundtvig’s splendid revision of the song for the thousand years’ festival of the Danish church. [1]

With gladness we hail the blessed day

Now out of the sea ascending,

Illuming the earth upon its way

And cheer to all mortals lending.

God grant that His children everywhere

May prove that the night is ending.

How blest was that wondrous midnight hour

When Jesus was born of Mary!

Then dawned in the East with mighty power

The day that anew shall carry

The light of God’s grace to every soul

That still with the Lord would tarry.

Should every creature in song rejoice,

And were every leaflet singing,

They could not His grace and glory voice,

Though earth with their praise were ringing,

For henceforth now shines the Light of Life,

Great joy to all mortals bringing.

Like gold is the blush of morning bright,

When day has from death arisen.

Blest comfort too holds the peaceful night

When skies in the sunset glisten.

So sparkle the eyes of those whose hearts

In peace for God’s summons listen.

Then journey we to our fatherland,