O Holy Ghost thou fount of light

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O Holy Ghost thou fount of light

Translator: Edward Caswall; Author: Adam, de Saint-Victor
Published in 4 hymnals

Representative Text

1 O Holy Ghost, thou Fount of light,
Thy blessed radiance puts to flight
The darkness of the mind;
The pure are only pure through thee;
And thou the prisoner dost set free,
And cheer with light the blind.

2 Thy grace eternal truth instills,
The ignorant with knowledge fills,
Awakens those who sleep,
Inspires the tongue, informs the eye,
Expands the heart with charity,
And comforts all who weep.

3 Teach us to aim at heaven's high prize,
And for its glory to despise
The world and all below;
Cleanse us from sin, direct us right,
Illume us with thy heavenly light,
Thy peace on us bestow.

4 Lord of all sanctity and might,
Eternal thou and infinite,
The life of earth and heaven;
To thee the High and Holy One,
To thee, with Father, and with Son,
Be praise and glory given.

Source: Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs ancient and modern #548

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Translator: Edward Caswall

Edward Caswall was born in 1814, at Yately, in Hampshire, where his father was a clergyman. In 1832, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford, and in 1836, took a second-class in classics. His humorous work, "The Art of Pluck," was published in 1835; it is still selling at Oxford, having passed through many editions. In 1838, he was ordained Deacon, and in 1839, Priest. He became perpetural Curate of Stratford-sub-Castle in 1840. In 1841, he resigned his incumbency and visited Ireland. In 1847, he joined the Church of Rome. In 1850, he was admitted into the Congregation of the Oratory at Birmingham, where he has since remained. He has published several works in prose and poetry. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Author: Adam, de Saint-Victor

Adam of St. Victor. Of the life of this, the most prominent and prolific of the Latin hymnists of the Middle Ages, very little is known. It is even uncertain whether he was an Englishman or a Frenchman by birth. He is described by the writers nearest to his own epoch, as Brito, which may indicate a native of either Britain, or Brittany. All that is certainly known concerning him is, that about A.D. 1130, after having been educated at Paris, he became, as quite a young man, a monk in the Abbey of St. Victor, then in the suburbs, but afterwards through the growth of that city, included within the walls of Paris itself. In this abbey, which, especially at that period, was celebrated as a school of theology, he passed the whole of the rest of h… Go to person page >

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