Savior of the Nations, Come
The oldest Advent hymn most Lutherans still sing, and it sounds nothing like Christmas.
The words
Hymn 263 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship uses a different English translation, beginning “Savior of the nations, come.” These are the older words.
Come, Thou Saviour of our race, Choicest Gift of heavenly grace! O Thou blessed Virgin's Son, Be Thy race on earth begun.
Not of mortal blood or birth, He descends from heaven to earth: By the Holy Ghost conceived, Truly man to be believed.
Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child! Of the Virgin, undefiled! Though by all the world disowned, Still to be in heaven enthroned.
From the Father forth He came, And returneth to the same; Captive leading death and hell,— High the song of triumph swell.
Equal to the Father now, Though to dust Thou once didst bow: Boundless shall Thy kingdom be; When shall we its glories see?
Brightly doth Thy manger shine! Glorious is its light divine: Let not sin o'ercloud this light, Ever be our faith thus bright.
As printed in Church Book for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Congregations (General Council. Public domain: free to print, copy and share.
Old words in this hymn
- Thee, Thou
- you (speaking to one person, often to God)
- Thy, Thine
- your, yours
- Doth, Dost
- does, do
About this hymn
Advent does not start in celebration. It starts in the dark, and this hymn knows it. The lines are short, the melody is narrow and modal, and the whole thing moves like something walking rather than something arriving.
It comes down from Ambrose in the fourth century, through Luther's German, into English. Fifteen hundred years of the church singing the same request in the same season.
Sing it on the first Sunday of Advent, before the tree is up and before anything has been resolved. It is the sound of waiting on purpose.
For musicians and planners
| Words | Martin Luther (German, 'Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland'), from the Latin 'Veni, Redemptor gentium' attributed to Ambrose of Milan (d. 397), 1524 | Public domain |
|---|---|---|
| Translation | William M. Reynolds, 1850 | Public domain |
| Tune | NUN KOMM, DER HEIDEN HEILAND · Martin Luther (attributed; melody printed in the Erfurt Enchiridion, 1524), 1524 | Public domain |
Checked 2026-09-27 against Church Book for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Congregations (General Council; 1890 printing), no. 118, via hymnary.org transcription and page scan (p. 221); cross-checked word for word against Hymnal and Order of Service (Augustana Synod, 1901), no. 10a, hymnary.org transcription
Hymn numbers checked against Hymnary.org’s index of Evangelical Lutheran Worship. Full record: Hymnary.