Behold the Bridegroom (Methodius)

Behold the Bride­groom! Hark the cry

The dead awak­ing

rends the sky!

Go

vir­gins

He is near

Your lamps all burn­ing clear;

He en­ters here the ris­ing light

Asunder bursts the gates of night.

In ho­ly garb

with lamp aglow

To meet the Bride­groom forth I go.

The smiles of earth that turn to tears

Its emp­ty joys and fool­ish fears

I leave

for Thou dost call—

Thou art my life

my all;

I would Thy beau­ty ev­er see

Then let me

Bless­èd

cling to Thee.

In ho­ly garb

with lamp aglow

To meet the Bride­groom forth I go.

For Thee I leave the world be­hind—

Thou art my bliss

O Bride­groom kind;

My beau­ty’s not mine own—

’Tis Thine

O Christ

alone;

The brid­al cham­ber I would see

In per­fect hap­pi­ness to be.

In ho­ly garb

with lamp aglow

To meet the Bride­groom forth I go.

O God

ex­alt­ed on Thy throne

Who dwell’st in pur­ity un­known

Lo

now we hum­bly wait

Thro wide the heav’n­ly gate

And with the Bride­groom

of Thy grace

Give us at Thy right hand a place.

In ho­ly garb

with lamp aglow

To meet the Bride­groom forth I go.