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Translated by John Mason Neale
YESTERDAY, with exultation | |
| Join’d the world in celebration | |
| Of her promis’d Saviour’s birth; | |
| Yesterday the Angel nation | |
| Pour’d the strains of jubilation | 5 |
| O’er the Monarch born on earth. | |
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| But to-day, o’er death victorious, | |
| By his faith and actions glorious, | |
| By his miracles renown’d, | |
| Dared the Deacon Protomartyr, | 10 |
| Earthly life for Heav’n to barter, | |
| Faithful midst the faithless found. | |
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| Forward, champion, in thy quarrel! | |
| Certain of a certain laurel, | |
| Holy Stephen, persevere! | 15 |
| Perjur’d witnesses confounding, | |
| Satan’s Synagogue astounding | |
| By thy doctrine true and clear. | |
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| Lo! in Heaven thy Witness liveth: | |
| Bright and faithful proof He giveth | 20 |
| Of His martyr’s blamelessness: | |
| Thou by name a Crown impliest; | |
| Meetly then in pangs thou diest | |
| For the Crown of Righteousness! | |
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| For a crown that fadeth never, | 25 |
| Bear the torturer’s brief endeavour: | |
| Victory waits to end the strife: | |
| Death shall be thy birth’s beginning, | |
| And life’s losing be the winning | |
| Of the true and better Life. | 30 |
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| Whom the Holy Ghost endueth, | |
| Whom celestial sight embueth, | |
| Stephen penetrates the skies; | |
| There God’s fullest glory viewing, | |
| There his victor strength renewing, | 35 |
| For his near reward he sighs. | |
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| See, as Jewish foes invade thee, | |
| See how Jesus stands to aid thee: | |
| Stands to guard His champion’s death: | |
| Cry that opened Heaven is shown thee: | 40 |
| Cry that Jesus waits to own thee: | |
| Cry it with thy latest breath! | |
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| As the dying Martyr kneeleth, | |
| For his murderers he appealeth, | |
| And his prayer their pardon sealeth, | 45 |
| For their madness grieving sore; | |
| Then in Christ he sleepeth sweetly, | |
| Who His pattern kept completely. | |
| And with Christ he reigneth meetly, | |
| Martyr first-fruits, evermore! 1 Amen. | 50 |
