Intende, qui regis Israel

Intende, qui Regis Israel. Ambrose of Milan* (339/340-397). This is the first stanza of the Christmas hymn usually known by its second stanza, ‘Veni, redemptor gentium/omnium’. It was found with this first stanza in the Old Hymnal (see ‘Medieval hymns and hymnals*), but the New Hymnal began the hymn with stanza 2. See Milfull, 1996, p. 202. Analecta Hymnica 50. 13-14 prints the full text, with the first stanza as follows: Intende, qui Regis Israel, Super Cherubim qui sedes, Appare Ephrem coram, excita Potentiam tuam et veni. This is based on the opening of Psalm 80 (79 in the Vulgate): ‘Qui Regis Israel, intende;/ qui deducis velut ovem Joseph./ Qui sedes super cherubim, manifestare/ coram...