Alleluia song of gladness

(short introduction)

Alleluia song of gladness,
voice of joy that cannot die;
alleluia is the anthem
ever raised by choirs on high;
in the house of God abiding
thus they sing eternally.

Alleluia thou resoundest,
true Jerusalem and free;
alleluia joyful mother,
all thy children sing with thee;
but by Babylon's sad waters
mourning exiles now are we.

Alleluia though we cherish
and would chant for evermore
alleluia in our singing,
let us for a while give o'er,
as our Saviour in his fasting
pleasures of the world forbore.

Therefore in our hymns we pray thee,
grant us, blessed Trinity,
at the last to keep thine Easter
with thy faithful saints on high;
there to thee forever singing
alleluia joyfully.

Words: Latin (11th C), trans. John Mason Neale (19th C)
Music: Urba beata Jerusalem, plainsong, Mode 2 (13th C)
Sequence: Cathouse Pandemonium, Ltd