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Spiritual songs > Hymns of the Nativity >

Hospod Boh predvičnyj

This Christmas hymn can be found in the Metropolitan Cantor Institute's Byzantine Catholic Hymnal for Nativity and Theophany (2007). The text is that of Monsignor William Levkulic (see below), who also contributed an English setting, God the Lord eternal.

This hymn is sung to the same tune as Spas nas narodilsja - which is in turn the melody of a Polish Christmas carol, Gdy się Chrystus rodzi, published in 1843. Both Rusyn hymns may actually be translations of the carol; all three end with the exclamation of the angels: "Glory, glory, glory to God in the highest."

Sources

This hymn was not included in the Užhorod Pisennik (1913), the Greek Catholic collection, Kolady (1932), or Father Stefan Papp's Duchovňi Pisňi (1969).

In 1969, Monsignor William Levkulic published two verses of this hymn in the booklet Christ is Born: Glorify Him; verse 2 ("Tuju písň na poli") is actually a text previously published as part of Spas nas narodilsja. Both verses were reprinted (without music) in Byzantine Liturgical Chant (1970) and in the Hymns section of The Divine Liturgy, a Book of Prayer (1978), with the notation, "Same melody as 'Jesus came from heaven'."

See the article on Spas nas narodilsja for comments about the musical setting of the refrain.

English translations

In 1969, Monsignor William Levkulic published a two-verse English translation, God the Lord eternal, in the booklet Christ is Born: Glorify Him. This setting was reprinted in Byzantine Liturgical Chant (1970, with the notation, "Same melody as 'Jesus came from heaven'") and in the Hymns section of The Divine Liturgy, a Book of Prayer (1978, without music).