Prophecies of Christ: Song #3 "Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming"
Section 1 - Prophecies of Christ
Song #3 Lo How a Rose E're Blooming (Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen)
Scriptures
1 Nephi 11:13-31 (condensed) And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. And it came to pass that after she had been carried away in the Spirit I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!
Mosiah 3:8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
(Translation of verse 1)
A rose has sprung up,
from a tender root,
As the old ones sang to us,
Its strain came from Jesse
And it has brought forth a floweret
In the middle of the cold winter
Well at half the night.
(English version of verse 2)
Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
Song #3 Lo How a Rose E're Blooming (Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen)
Scriptures
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
1 Nephi 11:13-31 (condensed) And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins. Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh. And it came to pass that after she had been carried away in the Spirit I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms. And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father!
Mosiah 3:8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
I like singing a piece in its original language whenever I can because it's always good to hear what words the music was originally set to. If you understand how that language works, it helps you understand why the composer made their phrasing and stylistic choices. English versions, on the other hand, have to be modified to fit the already existing melody, so they're not always able to convey the full intent of the original poetry. However, it's usually more meaningful to sing in your own language. "Silent Night" for example, was originally written as "Stille Nacht," but it wouldn't be as meaningful to most English speakers if there were no English version for them to sing along with. I like to have the best of both worlds by singing one verse in the original language and one verse in English.
(Translation of verse 1)
A rose has sprung up,
from a tender root,
As the old ones sang to us,
Its strain came from Jesse
And it has brought forth a floweret
In the middle of the cold winter
Well at half the night.
(English version of verse 2)
Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When half spent was the night.
Winter roses must be very robust. German winter roses even more so.
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