“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is the best-loved hymn of Advent, a longing prayer for the coming of Christ built from the ancient O Antiphons that the Church sings in the last days before Christmas. Each verse calls on the Messiah by one of his Old Testament titles: Emmanuel, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Lord of might. Below are the English lyrics by John Mason Neale, the Latin original Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, what each verse means, and the hymn’s history.
The lyrics in English
John Mason Neale’s translation, as printed in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). The refrain is sung after every verse.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
And drive away the shades of night
And pierce the clouds and bring us light!
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
The Latin original: Veni, Veni, Emmanuel
Veni, Veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exsilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.
Chorus:
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
Veni, O Jesse virgula,
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De specu tuos tartari
Educ et antro barathri.
Veni, Veni O Oriens!
Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
Veni, Clavis Davidica,
Regna reclude caelica,
Fac iter tutum superum,
Et claude vias inferum.
Veni, Veni Adonai!
Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice,
In Majestate gloriae.
The O Antiphons behind each verse
The hymn is a rhymed version of the O Antiphons, sung with the Magnificat at Vespers from December 17 to 23 and used as the Alleluia verse at Mass on those days. See the O Antiphons.
| Verse | Title of Christ | O Antiphon | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| O come, O come, Emmanuel | Emmanuel, “God with us” (Isaias 7:14) | O Emmanuel | December 23 |
| O come, Thou Rod of Jesse | Root of Jesse (Isaias 11:1) | O Radix Jesse | December 19 |
| O come, Thou Day-spring | Dayspring, the Rising Sun (Malachias 4:2) | O Oriens | December 21 |
| O come, Thou Key of David | Key of David (Isaias 22:22) | O Clavis David | December 20 |
| O come, Thou Lord of might | Adonai, the Lord who gave the Law on Sinai | O Adonai | December 18 |
Later versions add verses for O Sapientia (Wisdom, December 17) and O Rex Gentium (King of the Nations, December 22).
What the hymn means
The hymn takes the voice of Israel in exile, waiting for the Messiah, and makes it our own. In Advent we remember the long waiting before Christ’s birth, we prepare to celebrate his coming at Christmas, and we look forward to his return in glory. “Rejoice! Rejoice!” in the refrain is the joy of a hope that is certain: Emmanuel shall come.
History
- The Latin text first appears in a Catholic hymn collection, the Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum (Cologne, 1710), though the antiphons themselves are much older, going back at least to the eighth century.
- John Mason Neale (1818–1866), an Anglican priest and great translator of Latin and Greek hymns, translated it in 1851 (“Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel”); the version “O come, O come, Emmanuel” appeared in Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861.
- The melody, known as Veni Emmanuel, was published by Thomas Helmore in 1851, adapted from a fifteenth-century French processional chant.
When is it sung?
Throughout Advent, especially from December 17, at Mass, at Vespers, around the Advent wreath and at Advent services of lessons and carols. See Advent and Advent wreath prayers.
Frequently asked questions
What does Emmanuel mean?
“God with us,” from the prophecy of Isaias 7:14, quoted in Matthew 1:23.
Is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel a Christmas carol?
It is an Advent hymn, sung before Christmas to express longing for Christ’s coming.
Who wrote O Come, O Come, Emmanuel?
The Latin text is anonymous, based on the medieval O Antiphons; the English translation is by John Mason Neale.
More for Advent
- Psalm 80 (Stir up your might and come)
- Christmas carols: lyrics and stories
- Good King Wenceslas
- Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
- The O Antiphons
- Advent
- Jesse Tree
- Vespers (Evening Prayer)
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Silent Night
Texts and sources
- English: John Mason Neale, Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861), public domain (Wikisource).
- Latin: Latin Wikisource, “Veni, Veni Emmanuel!”, public domain.