O Unity of Threefold Light

Today is Trinity Sunday.

I haven't done a hymn in quite awhile, so, here is an "old-fashioned" one, that probably nobody sings an more.

The melody is found in "Este's Psalter" (1592), and even earlier in "Day's Psalter" (1586).

The original text was written by Metrophanes of Smyrna, a Christian bishop. He was the Metropolitan of Smyrna, in the ninth century. He was a leader of the Ignatian (opposed to Photius) bishops at the time of the Photian schism (867). The text was translated by the Rev. John Mason Neale (1818-1866).

I've done this in a straightforward manner, nothing fancy, but intended to show the solid "hymn sound" of the Perborough Hill.

There is an "English introduction," with the intro consisting of the opening 2 phrases.

The score is attached below, and the full text is as follows:

O Unity of threefold light,
Send out Thy lovliest ray,
And scatter our transgressions' night,
And turn it into day;
Make us Thy temples pure and fair
Thy glory loveth well,
The spotless tabernacles, where
Tho may'st vouchsafe to dwell.

The glorious hosts of peerless might,
That ever see Thy face,
Thou mak'st the mirrors of Thy light,
The vessels of Thy grace.
Thou, when their wondroud strain they weave,
Hast pleasure in the lay:
Deign thus our praises to receive,
Albeit from lips of clay.

And yet Thyself they cannot know,
Nor pierce the veil of light
That hides Thee from the Thrones below,
As in profoundest night.
How then can mortal accents frame
Due tribute to their King?
Thou, only, while we praise Thy Name,
Forgive us as we sing. Amen.

Also attached below are several interesting images of the Trinity.

One is a medieval wood carving (c. 1450) found on a Misericord (elaborately carved, folding seat) in Cartmel Priory.

The other is the "Trinity Head" found on the East side of the Quire Screen of Ripon Cathedral.

I attached two versions of this photo - one showing the actually full view, and the second cropped and enlarged, showing the head closer.