Come Down, O Love Divine

Text:  Bianco of Siena, 14th century. Tune: Down Ampney by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Come Down, O Love Divine

If you want to see examples of contradictory information online, google “Bianco of Siena.” He is described as a Jesuit, though he predates St. Ignatius who was the founder of the Jesuit order. As a young man he apparently entered the Jesuate order which was a group of lay followers of Augustinian rule. His birth date is uncertain, but he probably died in 1434. He wrote other examples of “religiously-inspired poetry,” but I’m only familiar with this one. He sounds like someone I’d like to get to know. If it is correct that he entered the Jesuate order in 1367, then he must have lived a very long life.

Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote the tune and named it Down Ampney which was the name of his birthplace. His father was the vicar of All Saints church there when Ralph was born in 1872. While he grew up to be arguably England’s finest composer who had a significant influence on church music by editing the 1906 hymnal of the Church of England, Vaughan Williams never clearly professed faith in God. He moved from atheist to agnostic, though I hope he moved on to faith in Christ before the end of his 86 years.

The above performance is by Fernando Ortega, one of the most sensitive church musicians of his generation. Close your eyes and enjoy this lovely song that connects us to a 14th century Christian brother by way of an early 20th century agnostic and a 21st century American musician. 

Bianco da Siena
(c. 1350 – c. 1434)
translated by
Richard Littledale
(1833-1890)

Come down, O Love divine,
Seek thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,
Till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing:
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong
With which the soul will long
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
No soul can guess its grace,
Till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling