Sunday, March 27, 2016

Chorus novae Jerusalem

by Fulbert of Chartres

Chorus novae Jerusalem
Novam meli dulcedinem
Promat colens cum sobriis
Paschale festum gaudiis.

Quo Christus invictus leo,
Dracone surgens obruto,
Dum voce viva personat,
A morte functos excitat.

Quam devorarat, improbus,
Praedam refundit tartarus,
Captivitate libera
Iesum sequntur agmina.

Triumphat ille splendide
Et dignus amplitudine,
Soli polique patriam
Unam facit rempublicam.

Ipsum canendo supplices
Regem precemur milites,
Ut in suo clarissimo
Nos ordindet palatio.

Per saecla metae nescia
Patri supremo gloria
Honorque sit cum filio
Et spiritu paraclito.

Friday, March 25, 2016

There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood

by William Cowper

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow'r,
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I'll sing your pow'r to save
When this poor lisping, stamm'ring tongue
Lies silent in the grave.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

To Spring

by William Blake

O thou with dewy locks, who lookest down
Thro' the clear windows of the morning, turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!

The hills tell each other, and the listening
Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turned
Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth,
And let thy holy feet visit our clime.

Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds
Kiss thy perfumed garments; let us taste
Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls
Upon our love-sick land that mourns for thee.

O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour
Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put
Thy golden crown upon her languished head,
Whose modest tresses were bound up for thee.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

A Well-Respected Man

by Ray Davies

'Cause he gets up in the morning
And he goes to work at nine
And he comes back home at five-thirty
Gets the same train every time
'Cause his world is built 'round punctuality
It never fails

And he's oh so good
And he's oh so fine
And he's oh so healthy
In his body and his mind
He's a well respected man about town
Doing the best things so conservatively

And his mother goes to meetings
While his father pulls the maid
And she stirs the tea with councilors
While discussing foreign trade
And she passes looks as well as bills
At every suave young man

And he likes his own backyard
And he likes his fags the best
'Cause he's better than the rest
And his own sweat smells the best
And he hopes to grab his father's loot
When Pater passes on

And he plays at stocks and shares
And he goes to the regatta
And he adores the girl next door
'Cause he's dying to get at her
But his mother knows the best about
The matrimonial stakes

And he's oh so good
And he's oh so fine
And he's oh so healthy
In his body and his mind
He's a well respected man about town
Doing the best things so conservatively

Monday, March 7, 2016

Sparks Fly

by Taylor Swift

The way you move is like a full-on rainstorm
And I'm a house of cards
You're the kind of reckless that you send me running
But I kind of know that I won't get far

And you stood there in front of me
Just close enough to touch
Close enough to hope you couldn't
See what I was thinking of

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'Cause I see sparks fly
Whenever you smile

Get me with those green eyes
As the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me
When you're not around
'Cause I see sparks fly
Whenever you smile

My mind forgets to remind me
That you're a bad idea
You touch me once, and it's really something
You find I'm even better than you imagined I would be

I'm on my guard for the rest of the world
But with you, I know it's no good
And I could wait patiently
But I really wish you would...

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'Cause I see sparks fly
Whenever you smile

Get me with those green eyes
As the lights go down
Give me something that'll haunt me
When you're not around
'Cause I see sparks fly
Whenever you smile

I run my fingers through your hair
And watch the lights go wild
Just keep on keeping your eyes on me
It's just strong enough to make it feel right
And lead me up the staircase
Won't you whisper soft and slow?
I'm captivated by you
Like a fireworks show

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

What the Bird Said Early in the Year

by C.S. Lewis

I heard in Addison’s Walk a bird sing clear:
This year the summer will come true. This year. This year.

Winds will not strip the blossom from the apple trees
This year, nor want of rain destroy the peas.

This year time’s nature will no more defeat you,
Nor all the promised moments in their passing cheat you.

This time they will not lead you round and back
To Autumn, one year older, by the well-worn track.

This year, this year, as all these flowers foretell,
We shall escape the circle and undo the spell.

Often deceived, yet open once again your heart,
Quick, quick, quick, quick!—the gates are drawn apart.