From the eastern mountains

From the eastern mountains. Godfrey Thring* (1823-1903). This is a hymn for Epiphany, written in 1873 and first published in the author’s Hymns and Sacred Lyrics (1874). It is sung to many different tunes. The text has not been much altered, although modern hymnbooks sometimes make minor amendments, most notably the change from ‘heathen’ to ‘peoples’ in stanza three. The hymn stresses the distance travelled by the Wise Men and uses their visit to the infant Jesus as an image of the scattered elements of humanity being drawn together in the worship of God, including outcasts, unbelievers, young and old. Its length, regular metre, and imagery of travelling make it particularly suitable for...