The Everything Hymnal brings you two hymns for the price of one!

'Bright the Vision that Delighted' is a well-known hymn consisting of the first six stanzas of the following work, sung to the tune 'Redhead No 46' by Richard Redhead (1820-1901). However, the last six stanzas, grouped in pairs, form the lesser-known hymn 'Round the Lord in Glory Seated', sung to the tune 'Ebenezer (Ton-y-Botel)', by Thomas J. Williams, 1890, or to 'Moultrie', by Gerard F. Cobb, 1860.

The poem itself is by Richard Mant, in Ancient Hymns, 1837. The 'seer' referred to in verse 1 is Isaiah, and the hymn refers to Isaiah 6, where the prophet receives a vision of God.

Bright the vision that delighted
Once the sight of Judah's seer;
Sweet the countless tongues united
To entrance the prophet's ear.

Round the Lord in glory seated
Cherubim and seraphim
Filled His temple, and repeated
Each to each the alternate hymn:

"Lord, Thy glory fills the heaven;
Earth is with its fullness stored;
Unto Thee be glory given,
Holy, holy, holy Lord."

Heaven is still with glory ringing,
Earth takes up the angels' cry,
Holy, holy, holy, singing,
Lord of hosts, the Lord most high.

With His seraph train before him,
With His holy Church below,
Thus conspire we to adore Him,
Bid we thus our anthem flow.

"Lord, Thy glory fills the heaven;
Earth is with its fullness stored;
Unto Thee be glory given,
Holy, holy, holy Lord."

Thus Thy glorious Name confessing,
We adopt thine angels' cry,
Holy, holy, holy, blessing
Thee, the Lord of Hosts most high.

Everything Hymnal

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.