Scripture Verse

The first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. Revelation 14:4

Introduction

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John B. Dykes (1823–1876)

Words: Au­re­li­us Pru­den­ti­us, 413, cen­to (Sal­ve­te flo­res mar­tyr­um). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Hen­ry W. Bak­er in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875. The me­ta­phor of the mur­dered child­ren as flow­ers re­calls how St. Au­gus­tine des­cribed them as buds, killed by the frost of per­se­cu­tion the mo­ment they showed them­selves.

Music: Sal­ve­te Flo­res John B. Dykes, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Henry W. Baker (1821–1877)

Lyrics

Sweet flow­er­ets of the mar­tyr band,
So ear­ly plucked by cru­el hand;
Like rose­buds by a tem­pest torn,
As breaks the light of sum­mer morn.

First vic­tims of­fered for the Lord,
Ye lit­tle knew your high re­ward,
As, at the very al­tar, gay
With palms and crowns ye seemed to play.

Ah! what availed King Her­od’s wrath?
He could not stay your Sav­ior’s path;
The Child he sought alone went free;
That Child is King eter­nal­ly.

O Lord, the vir­gin born, to Thee
Praise, hon­or, might and glo­ry be,
Whom with the Fa­ther we ad­ore
And Holy Ghost for­ev­er­more.