"O come, O come, Emmanuel" (Latin: "Veni, veni, Emmanuel") is a Christian hymn for Advent, which is also often published in books of Christmas carols.Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., Hymns of the Kingdom of God, revised ed. (New York: The A.S. Barnes Company, 1916), Hymn #37 (Internet Archive). Quoted in Hymns and Carols of Christmas. The text, originally written in Latin, is a metrical paraphrase of the O Antiphons, a series of plainchant antiphons attached to the Magnificat at Vespers over the final days before Christmas. The Latin metrical hymn "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel" first appears in print in 1710, despite claims that the text dates to the 11th or 12th century.Theo Hamacher, "Das Psalteriolum cantionum, das Geistliche Psälterlein u. ihr Herausgeber P. Johannes Heringsdorf SJ", Westfälische Zeitschrift 110 (1960), 285 ff. The early medieval origins of the O Antiphons have led to a common belief that "Veni, Veni, Emmanuel" itself dates to the Early Middle Ages, but in fact, we do not have enough evidence to prove that. In 1966, Mary Berry (then Mother Thomas More) discovered the tune in a 15th-century Franciscan processional (Bibliothèque National, fonds latin 10581), which was probably copied for a nunnery.  However, while that tune is the same as the modern hymn, it’s not known if the hymn’s words were ever sung to it.

The 1851 translation by John Mason Neale from Hymns Ancient and Modern is the most prominent by far in the English-speaking world, but other English translations also exist. Translations into other modern languages (particularly German) are also in widespread use. While the text may be used with many metrical hymn tunes, it was first combined with its most famous tune, often itself called Veni Emmanuel, in the English-language Hymnal Noted in 1851. Later, the same tune was used with versions of "O come, O come, Emmanuel" in other languages, including Latin.

Inspiration

The O Antiphons have their origins over 1,200 years ago in monastic life in the 8th or 9th century. Seven days before Christmas Eve monasteries would sing the "O antiphons" in anticipation of Christmas Eve when the eighth antiphon, "O Virgo virginum" ("O Virgin of virgins") would be sung before and after Mary's canticle, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46b–55).

The Latin text

The words and the music of "O come, O come, Emmanuel" developed separately. The Latin text is first documented in Germany in 1710, whereas the tune most familiar in the English-speaking world has its origins in 15th-century France.

The five-verse Latin text

In spite of claims the Latin metrical hymn dates from the 11th or 12th century, it appears for the first time in the seventh edition of Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum (Cologne, 1710). This hymnal was a major force in the history of German church music: first assembled by Jesuit hymnographer Johannes Heringsdorf in 1610 and receiving numerous revised editions through 1868, it achieved enormous impact due to its use in Jesuit schools.Theo Hamacher, "Das Psalteriolum cantionum, das Geistliche Psälterlein u. ihr Herausgeber P. Johannes Heringsdorf SJ", Westfälische Zeitschrift 110 (1960), 285 ff.

Each stanza of the hymn consists of a four-line verse (in 88.88 meter with an AABB rhyme scheme), paraphrasing one of the O Antiphons. There is also a new two-line refrain (again in 88 meter): "Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel / nascetur pro te, Israel", i.e., "Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel will be born for you, O Israel". There are only five verses: two of the antiphons are omitted and the order of the remaining verses differs from that of the O Antiphons, most notably the last antiphon ("O Emmanuel") becomes the first verse of the hymn and gives the hymn its title of "Veni, veni, Emmanuel":

In 1844, the 1710 text was included in the second volume of Thesaurus Hymnologicus, a monumental collection by the German hymnologist Hermann Adalbert Daniel, thus ensuring a continued life for the Latin text even as the Psalteriolum came to the end of its long history in print.

It was from Thesaurus Hymnologicus that John Mason Neale would come to know the hymn. Neale would both publish the Latin version of the hymn in Britain and translate the first (and still most important) English versions.Raymond F. Glover, The Hymnal 1982 Companion, vol. 1 (New York: Church Publishing, 1995), 56 ()

The seven-verse Latin text

The 1710 text was published in Joseph Hermann Mohr's Cantiones Sacrae of 1878, with two additional verses of unknown authorship paraphrasing the two "missing" O Antiphons. The order of verses now followed that of the antiphons (beginning with "Sapientia" and ending with "Emmanuel"), and accordingly the hymn's title in this hymnal was "Veni, O Sapientia". The refrain had undergone a slight change and was now "Gaude, gaude, O Israel. Mox veniet Emmanuel", i.e. "Rejoice, rejoice, o Israel. Soon shall come Emmanuel".Joseph Mohr, SJ, ed., Cantiones Sacrae (New York: Frederick Pustet, 1878), p. 81, hymn #36 Digitized version

English versions of the text

John Mason Neale published the five-verse Latin version, which he had presumably learned from Daniels' Thesaurus Hymnologicus, in his 1851 collection Hymni Ecclesiae.John Mason Neale, Hymni ecclesiae: e breviariis quibusdam et missalibus gallicanis, germanis, hispanis, lusitanis desumpti (Oxford: J.H. Parker, 1851), 57 (Google Books)

In the same year, Neale published the first documented English translation, beginning with "Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel", in Mediæval Hymns and Sequences. He revised this version for The Hymnal Noted, followed by a further revision, in 1861, for Hymns Ancient and Modern. This version, now with the initial line reading "O come, O come, Emmanuel", would attain hegemony in the English-speaking world (aside from minor variations from hymnal to hymnal).Hymns ancient and modern: for use in the services of the church (London: Novello, 1861), hymn #36 (Google Books digitization of the 1867 edition)

Thomas Alexander Lacey (1853–1931) created a new translation (also based on the five-verse version) for The English Hymnal in 1906, but it received only limited use.The English Hymnal (London: Oxford University Press, 1906), hymn #8 (see p. 12 of the PDF via IMSLP)It is noteworthy that the text is here correctly listed as 18th cent. in origin.

It would take until the 20th century for the additional two stanzas to receive significant English translations. The translation published by Henry Sloane Coffin in 1916 – which included only the "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" verse by Neale and Coffin's two "new" verses – gained the broadest acceptance, with occasional modifications.Henry Sloane Coffin and Ambrose White Vernon, eds., Hymns of the Kingdom of God, revised ed. (New York: The A.S. Barnes Company, 1916), Hymn #37 (Internet Archive). Quoted in Hymns and Carols of Christmas.

A full seven-verse English version officially appeared for the first time in 1940, in the Hymnal of the Episcopal Church.

Contemporary English hymnals print various versions ranging from four to eight verses. The version included in the Hymnal 1982 of the Episcopal Church is typical: there are eight stanzas, with "Emmanuel" as both the first and the last stanza. From this version, six lines date from the original 1851 translation by Neale, nine from the version from Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861), eleven (including the two supplementary stanzas, following Coffin) from the Hymnal 1940, and the first two lines of the fourth stanza ("O come, thou Branch of Jesse's tree, \ free them from Satan's tyranny") are unique to this hymnal.Raymond F. Glove, The Hymnal 1982 Companion, vol. 3A, 2nd ed. (New York: Church Publishing, 1995), 105 ()

Texts of the major English translations

J. M. Neale (1851)Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861)T. A. Lacey (1906)Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear; Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

Draw nigh, O Jesse's Rod, draw nigh, To free us from the enemy; From Hell's infernal pit to save, And give us victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born, for thee, O Israel!

Draw nigh, Thou Orient, Who shalt cheer And comfort by Thine Advent here, And banish far the brooding gloom Of sinful night and endless doom. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

Draw nigh, draw nigh, O David's Key, The Heavenly Gate will ope to Thee; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel!

Draw nigh, draw nigh, O Lord of Might, Who to Thy tribes from Sinai's height In ancient time didst give the Law, In cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel Shall be born for thee, O Israel!O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel; That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory o'er the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer Our Spirits by Thine Advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Lord of Might Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height, In ancient times didst give the law, In cloud, and majesty, and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.O come, O come, Emmanuel! Redeem thy captive Israel That into exile drear is gone, Far from the face of God's dear Son. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Branch of Jesse! draw The quarry from the lion's claw; From the dread caverns of the grave, From nether hell, thy people save. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, thou Dayspring bright! Pour on our souls thy healing light; Dispel the long night's lingering gloom, And pierce the shadows of the tomb. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O Come, thou Lord of David’s Key! The royal door fling wide and free; Safeguard for us the heavenward road, And bar the way to death's abode. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Adonai, Who in thy glorious majesty From that high mountain clothed in awe, Gavest thy folk the elder Law. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Additional verses trans. H. S. Coffin (1916) O come, Thou Wisdom from on high, And order all things, far and nigh; To us the path of knowledge show, And cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind; Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

The music

Because "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is a metrical hymn in the common 88.88.88 meter scheme (in some hymnals given as "8.8.8.8 and refrain"), it is possible to pair the words of the hymn with any number of tunes. The meter is shared between the original Latin text and the English translation.

However, at least in the English-speaking world, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is associated with one tune more than any other, to the extent that the tune itself is often called Veni Emmanuel.

The "Veni Emmanuel" tune