The Cyber Hymnal ‎#7315

7315. Whence Comes This Rush of Wings?

1. Whence comes this rush of wings afar,
Following straight the Noël star?
Birds from the woods in wondrous flight,
Bethlehem seek this holy night.

2. Tell us, ye birds, why come ye here,
Into this stable, poor and drear?
Hast’ning we seek the newborn King,
And all our sweetest music bring.

3. Hark how the greenfinch bears his part,
Philomel, too, with tender heart,
Chants from her leafy dark retreat,
Re, mi, fa, sol, in accents sweet.

4. Angels and shepherds, birds of the sky,
Come where the Son of God doth lie;
Christ on the earth with man doth dwell,
Join in the shout, Noël, Noël!

Text Information

• First Line: Whence comes this rush of wings afar
• Title: Whence Comes This Rush of Wings?
• Translator (from French): Unknown
• Meter: LM
• Language: English
• Source: French carol from Bas-Quercy; Translation appeared in Carols Old and Carols New, by Charles Lewis Hutchins (Boston, Massachusetts: Parish Choir, 1916), number 460
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: BAS-QUERCY
• Meter: LM
• Incipit: 17122 33217 12176
• Key: g minor
• Copyright: Public Domain