The King shall come, when morning dawns

Authors:
Themes:
Scriptures:
  • Exodus 16:7
  • Psalms 117
  • Psalms 17:15
  • Psalms 27:4
  • Isaiah 33:17
  • Matthew 16:21
  • Matthew 16:27
  • Matthew 24:27
  • Matthew 25:31
  • Matthew 26:64
  • Matthew 27:62-65
  • Matthew 28:1-10
  • Mark 8:31
  • Mark 8:38
  • Luke 2:11
  • Luke 24:1-9
  • Luke 9:22
  • Luke 9:26
  • Acts 1:9-11
  • Acts 2:36
  • Acts 4:25-28
  • 1 John 3:2
  • Revelation 1:16
  • Revelation 22:4-5
Book Number:
  • 509

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

2. He who was born a little child
to suffer and to die
shall come with glory, like the sun
that lights the morning sky.

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

4. Far 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 light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray,
‘Come quickly, King of kings.’

Greek Anonymous Trans. John Brownlie 1857-1925

The Son - His Return in Glory

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Tune

  • St Saviour
    St Saviour
    Metre:
    • CM (Common Metre: 86 86)
    Composer:
    • Baker, Frederick George

The story behind the hymn

The Scots scholar John Brownlie made his version of this anonymous Gk text in one of a long series of translations spanning the years 1896–1920. But its popularity seems to have been delayed until its inclusion in several more recent books, beginning possibly with A Song in Season in 1976. The words have the attraction of biblical simplicity; some alterations adopted here are in line with those in Baptist Praise and Worship (1991).

For notes on Frederick G Baker’s tune ST SAVIOUR, included here for the 3rd time, see 214.

A look at the author

Brownlie, John

(formerly Brownlee), b Glasgow 1857 (1859, Julian), d Crieff, Perthshire 1925. Univ of Glasgow and the Free Church College. Licensed to preach in 1884, he served the Free Ch of Scotland congregation at Portpatrick nr Stranraer, from 1885 as Asst Minister, then 5 years later as Minister. He was a Governor, and later Chairman, of Stranraer High Sch, and a member of the local School Board (Education Committee). His first hymns were published in 1889 (Hymns of our Pilgrimage); other collections followed in 1890 (Zionward: Hymns of the Pilgrim Life) and 1892 (Pilgrim Songs). Between 1896 and 1920 he also printed numerous translations of Lat and Gk hymns; the latter proved more useful as he had fewer predecessors, 4 of them being chosen for EH. As well as the text included in Praise!, Routley also selected O Light that knew no dawn (from Gregory of Nazianzus, 4th c) for his 1979 Panorama. Brownlie provided a Companion to the 1899 Church Hymnary, and received the Glasgow DD c1908. No.509.