#711: O Day of Peace
Dec. 9th, 2019 10:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lutheranhymnsWhat's the significance of the text?
The stuff about the lion and lamb and little child is from Isaiah, and often interpreted in reference to Jesus' coming, basically expressing a hope/prayer for a peaceful world in the future.
But in this particular context?
So, the tune for this is known as Jerusalem, because it was originally composed for a poem by William Blake of that name. Blake's poem was about England ("And did [Jesus'] feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?" The answer to that one is probably no, but who knows.) and has become a patriotic song for that country/subnational entity/look the UK is complicated, it was part of their Olympic opening ceremony. So the contrast here is taking a song about the religious significance of one nation, and turning it into a prayer for peace among all nations.
But isn't "Jerusalem" still more famous in general?
Yes, see here for one well-known rendition.
The stuff about the lion and lamb and little child is from Isaiah, and often interpreted in reference to Jesus' coming, basically expressing a hope/prayer for a peaceful world in the future.
But in this particular context?
So, the tune for this is known as Jerusalem, because it was originally composed for a poem by William Blake of that name. Blake's poem was about England ("And did [Jesus'] feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?" The answer to that one is probably no, but who knows.) and has become a patriotic song for that country/subnational entity/look the UK is complicated, it was part of their Olympic opening ceremony. So the contrast here is taking a song about the religious significance of one nation, and turning it into a prayer for peace among all nations.
But isn't "Jerusalem" still more famous in general?
Yes, see here for one well-known rendition.
