Hymn Before Action
Karl Jenkins Lyrics
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The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions—
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, aid
High lust and froward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee
Lord, grant us strength to die!
In the song "Hymn Before Action" by Karl Jenkins, the lyrics speak of a planet and its inhabitants in turmoil. The earth is full of anger, and the seas are dark with wrath, creating a chaotic atmosphere. The nations, in their readiness for war, are prepared to go up against anything in their path. Before they release the troops and draw their blades, they ask for Jehovah of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles to aid them.
The second verse speaks of the human condition that has brought them to this point: high lust, froward (difficult to deal with) bearing, proud hearts, rebellious brows, deaf ears, and uncaring souls. Despite their shortcomings, they still seek mercy from their Lord. The final line speaks of the inevitability of their deaths, and they ask for the strength to face it.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of desperation and a need for divine intervention to overcome the challenges of their time. They recognize their own weaknesses and shortcomings but hope for strength to face the battle ahead.
Line by Line Meaning
The earth is full of anger
The world is filled with rage and frustration
The seas are dark with wrath
The oceans are turbulent and angry
The Nations in their harness
All the countries are ready for war
Go up against our path
They confront us and challenge us
Ere yet we loose the legions
Before we send out our armies
Ere yet we draw the blade
Before we begin battle
Jehovah of the Thunders
God of thunder and lightning
Lord God of Battles, aid
Help us in this war, oh Lord
High lust and froward bearing
Excessive desire and stubborn attitude
Proud heart, rebellious brow
Arrogant and disobedient behavior
Deaf ear and soul uncaring
Ignoring others and being indifferent
We seek Thy mercy now
We ask for your forgiveness and compassion
The sinner that forswore Thee
People who have turned away from God
The fool that passed Thee by
Those who have overlooked God's presence
Our times are known before Thee
Our future is already known to you
Lord, grant us strength to die!
Give us the courage to face death
Contributed by Max M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michal Hruška
The earth is full of anger,
The seas are dark with wrath,
The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions—
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, aid!
High lust and froward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow—
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now!
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee—
Lord, grant us strength to die!
jojo
just a week ago we performed the whole mass and this was one of my absolute favorites. its so beautiful yet haunting. i love the emotion jenkins conveyed
gotem
love ur doot pfp
01Nick1988
I remember performing this when I was in a youth choir, we did the whole Mass. This piece was always my favourite, and that refrain of 'Lord grant us strength to die' is so chilling
Lucrio
My absolute favourite movement. When I saw this live only a few weeks ago at the Royal Festival Hall (with Jenkins conducting 😱) I almost wanted to clap after this one. It's sort of unfortunate that tradition and etiquette prevents applause for single movements.
sushicat01
Learning the whole mass now with our choir "chorus juventus" It's much to learn but such a great work. Thanks karl jenkins!
Amy Rodda
learning this and it takes such a long time, but to hear that it could sound like this is amazing
Erin Toohey
Beautiful doesn't begin to describe this. Stunning, ethereal, perfect, divine.
1eydawn2
Learning this now... Wow! What a powerful movement this whole mass is.
Laura Beth
Our honors choir sang this and it was beautiful oh my gosh never going to forget
Richard de Vries
Beatiful, we have to sing this in the school choir!