The King Shall Come

353 The King Shall Come

1 The King shall come when morning dawns
   and light triumphant breaks,
   when beauty gilds the eastern hills
   and life to joy awakes.

2 Not as of old a little child,
   to bear, and fight, and die,
   but crowned with glory like the sun
   that lights the morning sky.

3 O brighter than the rising morn
   when He, victorious, rose
   and left the lonesome place of death,
   despite the rage of foes.

4 O brighter than that glorious morn
   shall this fair morning be,
   when Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
   and we His face shall see.

5 The King shall come when morning dawns
   and earth's dark night is past;
   O haste the rising of that morn,
   the day that aye shall last.
                         Anonymous Greek
                         Trans. by John Brownlie
                         The Methodist Hymnal, 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Not a very popular hymn; it only occurs in about 95 hymnals. I don't recall ever singing it. The translator translated and wrote quite a few other hymns, none of which has more than a few occurrences. Hymnary.org adds two verses:

6 And let the endless bliss begin,
   by weary saints foretold,
   when right shall triumph over wrong,
   and truth shall be extolled.

7 The King shall come when morning dawns,
   and light and beauty brings;
   "Hail, Christ the Lord!" Thy people pray,
   come quickly, King of kings!

</idle musing>