This edition was prepared by Charles H. Giffen — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Come down, O Love divine
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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Come down, O Love divine by Ralph Vaughan Williams — Lyrics
1. Discendi, amor santo,
Visita la mie mente
Del tuo amore ardente.
Si che di te in’ infiammi tutto quanto.
2. Vienne, consolatore.
Nel mio cuor veramente:
Del tuo ardente amore
Ardel veracemente:
Del tuo amor cocente
Si forte sie ferito:
Vada come smarrito
Dentro e di fuore ardendo tutto quanto.
3. Arda si fortemente
Che tutto mi consumi.
Si che veracemente
Lassi mondan costumi:
Li splendienti lumi
Lucenti, illuminanti
Mi stien sempre devanti,
Per li quali mi vesta il vero manto.
4. E ’l manto ch' i' mi vesta
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About Come down, O Love divine
Ralph Vaughan Williams set this hymn tune to words that begin with a prayer for divine love to descend and inflame the soul, then to comfort and transform the heart. The text speaks of burning with love, being consumed by it, and shedding worldly customs. It asks for the light of divine understanding to illuminate the path forward, and for charity to be worn as a holy mantle, with humility as its companion. The SATB setting embraces the spiritual yearning of the text, translated from its original Italian into English. It is a sacred work, a powerful expression of devotion, suitable for choral settings where profound spiritual expression is desired.
