When the patriarch was returning

RichardH · Post by **RichardH** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:25 am

Hi, just stumbled across this website and I hope you can help, because this is driving me mad. I've searched Google, and I've found only two references to it - one asking the same question as me and one scholarly work citing a couple of verses.

I'm looking for the hymn "When the patriarch was returning". It is a translation by Edward Caswall of the (I think) 11th Century hymn "Hoste dum victo triumphans". I seem to remember that it has 5 verses. I haven't sung it for nearly 20 years, but for some reason I can remember the translator, the title of the Latin original, and various snippets of the verses. Isn't that odd?

The first verse is:
When the patriarch was returning,
Clothed with triumph from the fray,
then the peaceful king of Salem
Came to meet him on his way,
Meekly bearing bread and wine:
Holy priesthood's awful sign.

It is a beautiful, prayerful hymn, and I would love to get a copy of it again.

Hoping you can help,
Richard

steveliu · Post by **steveliu** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:57 am

Here's what I found:

1.
When the Patriarch was returning
Crowned with triumph from the fray,
Him the peaceful king of Salem
Came to meet upon his way;
Meekly bearing bread and wine,
Holy Priesthood's aweful sign.

2.
On the truth thus dimly shadowed
Later days a luster shed;
When the great high-Priest eternal,
Under form of wine and bread,
For the world's immortal food
Gave his flesh and gave his blood.

3.
Wondrous Gift! The Word who fashioned
All things by his might divine,
Bread into his body changes,
Into his own blood the wine;
What though sense no change perceives,
Faith admires, adores, believes.

4.
He who once to die a Victim
On the cross did not refuse,
Day by day upon our altars,
That same Sacrifice renews;
Through his holy priesthood's hands,
Faithful to his last commands

5.
While the people all uniting
In the Sacrifice sublime
Offer Christ to his high Father,
Offer up themselves with him;
Then together with the priest
On the living Victim feast.

God bless,
Steve

RichardH · Post by **RichardH** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:18 pm

Thanks! I can now sleep at nights!

Richard

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:09 pm

As far as I know, the hymn is still in regular use as the office hymn of the Anglican "Guild of Servants of the Sanctuary" a fraternity for altar servers in the Church of England. The guild office is a form of Vespers and is traditionally sung in English plainsong. Sincerely, Noel.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:51 am

Thats true Noel i am a guild servant of the sanctuary member.... Wayne

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:29 pm

An exquisite hymn.

Should you wish to hear it sung and played beautifully, you should order a DVD of the Corpus Christi Solemn Mass at S. Clement's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia,. The cost is $20 US..

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:28 am

I look forward to hearing and singing the hymn at S. Clement's every year during the Corpus Christi Mass. It remains one of my favorites.