The day of resurrection

159 Rottrdam. 7. 6. 7. 6. D.

1 The day of resurrection!
   Earth, tell it out abroad;
   the passover of gladness,
   the passover of God.
   From death to life eternal,
   from earth unto the sky,
   our Christ hath brought us over,
   with hymns of victory.

2 Our hearts be pure from evil,
   that we may see aright
   the Lord in rays eternal
   of resurrection light;
   and listening to his accents,
   may hear, so calm and plain,
   his own "All hail!" and, hearing,
   may raise the victor strain.

3 Now let the heavens be joyful!
   Let earth the song begin!
   Let the round world keep triumph,
   and all that is therein!
   Let all things seen and unseen
   their notes in gladness blend,
   for Christ the Lord hath risen,
   our joy that hath no end.
                         John of Damascus (c. 750)
                         Tr. by John M. Neale
                        The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
From the biographical blurb on hymnary.org:

After his father's death, John assumed that position and lived in wealth and honor. At about the age of forty, however, he became dissatisfied with his life, gave away his possessions, freed his slaves, and entered the monastery of St. Sabas in the desert near Jerusalem. One of the last of the Greek fathers, John became a great theologian in the Eastern church.

He lived one thousand years before the US Civil War, yet he knew that to be serious about following Christ he had to free his slaves. Let that sink in.
</idle musing>