Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

[gwyn]

Does anyone know of a metrical version of St. Paul's canticle in Philippians chapter 2: 6-11 ?

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I've found this:
Jesus! Exalted far on high
To whom a name is given
A name surpassing every name
That’s known in earth or heaven.

Before your throne shall every knee
Bow down with one accord
Before your throne shall every tongue
Confess that you are Lord.

Jesus, who in the form of God
Could equal honour claim,
Yet to redeem our guilty souls,
Stooped down to death and shame:

O may that mind in us be formed
Which in your life we see
May we be humble, lowly, meek,
From pride and envy free.

May we to others stoop, and learn
To imitate your love:
So shall we bear your image here,
And share your throne above.

Thomas Cotterill (1779-1823)
Which captures the spirit rather but I'm looking for something that adheres more rigidly to the text.

THanks everyone for your thoughts.

Gwyn.

[PaulW]

There's this setting from the Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases at hymnary.org
Dependant upon which specific translation you want fidelity with, this is OK.

Or there's Benjamin Rhodes' setting at ehymnbook.org, which is longer and less complete.

[johnquinn39]

Have you tried Chris Walker's 'At the name of Jesus'?

[Lakelark]

My specialism is translating mainly Latin verse hymns into contemporary English verse: I have done more than 20 of them and some are already in use. If you are in no desperate hurry, Gwyn, I would happily attempt a version of the "kenosis" passage. A problem which is immediately apparent, however, is that it might be hard to produce a linguistically accurate version which also sounded decent as English verse. Which is why I say that I could not promise an overnight result, as I have achieved on occasions before, when the need was desperate.

[alan29]

At the name of Jesus - complete with "fairground" rum-te-tum harmonies.
Alan

[Hare]

"Though one with God"; words by John Bell, set to "Jerusalem" in "Resurrexit" on page 74 (Decani Music) seems to include most of the text

[Southern Comfort]

"Though one with God"; words by John Bell, set to "Jerusalem" in "Resurrexit" on page 74 (Decani Music) seems to include most of the text

First published in the third major Iona Collection Love from Below (Wild Goose and GIA).

Other versions of what is often known as the Song of Christ's Glory (Phil 2:5-11)include

All praise to Christ, our Lord and king divine (Hymns for Today's Church 204: tunes = Creation, Engelberg ─ 10 10 10 + alleluia) ─ a modern-language version of Francis Bland Tucker's "All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine"
Before the heaven and earth (Hymns for Today's Church 612: tune = Narenza ─ SM)
Let all be one in mind and heart New Hymns for All Seasons ─ James Quinn 54: any CM tune starting with an anacrusis

[Nick Baty]

Before the heaven and earth (Hymns for Today's Church

Also in Laudate at 754
And there's Stephen Dean's Every Knee Shall Bow at 755

[gwyn]

Thanks everyone for your rapid and full responses to my appeal.

My reason for asking in the first place was that I felt that St. Paul can be somewhat musically under represented on The Feast of Saint Peter & Saint Paul. The Kenosis (thanks for that Lakelark) and other such pieces of prose penned by Paul which are used as canticles at Evening Prayer; and which so perfectly capture aspects of The Faith would be so accessable in a metrical form. I say "would be", from your fantastic response to my plea It's apparentthat they already are in plentiful supply. Deo Gratias.

Thanks again everyone.

[Peter]

In view of Gwyn's stated reason for his request, I hope it's not OT to point out that hymns 372 (optional inserted verse for 29 June), 379 and 380 all feature both saints in equal measure.

[Nick Baty]

It was only after printing Sunday's service sheets I spotted Pat Lee's Into a world of darkness to Sine Nomine. Although if I was choosing verses, I'd probably deselect the two which tells each saint's story separately. But it's rather good and I'll be using it next year.

On the subject of Sine Nomine, we're finishing with For All the Saints on Sunday. Cyber Hymnal, http://www.cyberhymnal.org, gives a fuller version than do most hymnals. We're using the first and last verses as presented in most collections with the following between them:
For the Apostles’ glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And there are other verses about, evangelists and martyrs, making this hymn even more flexible and useful.

Cyber Hymnals has a useful scriptural index which, while often linking to hymns outside our tradition, also prompts me towards choral items which have come from the hymn repertoire. Worth exploring.

[gwyn]

Cyber Hymnals has a useful scriptural index which, while often linking to hymns outside our tradition, also prompts me towards choral items which have come from the hymn repertoire. Worth exploring.

That's a good point Nick. It's a shame that more hymnals don't offer this useful reference.

[Nick Baty]

Laudate does. And most OCP publications have some sort of scriptural reference. One day, when all the present projects are finished, I'll gather them together into one huge database.

[gwyn]

One day, when all the present projects are finished, I'll gather them together into one huge database.

Happy to help.

[Nick Baty]

Wonder if admin could create some massive online database into which several people could contribute.
Stop it, Gwyn, you're encouraging me to go off-topic and I fear the approach of Mr Bear and Doc Matt could lead to several sore bottoms before bedtime!