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Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming
Words: 15th Century German Carol, tr. Theodore Baker, 1894. Music: Es Ist Ein Ros’, 1599, arr Sufjan Stevens.

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
From tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As those of old have sung.
It came, a flower bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind;
And so then we behold it,
The virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright,
She bore to us a Savior,
When half spent was the night.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere;
True Man, yet very God,
From sin and death He saves us,
And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe,
O Savior, King of glory,
Who dost our weakness know;
Bring us at length we pray,
To Thy bright court of heaven,
And to Thy endless day!