Spring Has Now Unwrapped The Flowers (Flower Carol)

"Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.
Yet, I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these..."
(Matthew 6:28-29)

 Deep violet lupines blooming in all their springtime glory at
  Givat Ha Turmusin (Lupine Hill) Emek HaElah (Valley of Elah)
near Bet Shemesh in Israel. 
 Thousand of years ago on this same hilly terrain, a courageous young
  shepherd boy and future king of Israel named David, with sling-shot ready
in hand, slew the once thought-to-be invincible Philistine giant Goliath.
Just shows you what a little faith can do!

Photograph courtesy/shatour.com

 

Spring has now unwrapped the flowers,

Day is fast reviving,

Life in all her growing powers

Towards the light is striving:


Gone the iron touch of cold,

Winter time and frost time,

Seedlings, working through the mould

Now make up for lost time.

Herb and plant that, winter long,

Slumbered at their leisure,

Now bestirring, green and strong,

Find in growth their pleasure;


All the world with beauty fills,

Gold with green enhancing

Flowers make glee among the hills,

Set the meadows dancing.

Through each wonder of fair days

God Himself expresses;

Beauty follows all His ways,

As the world He blesses:


So, as He renews the earth,

Artist without rival,

In His grace of glad new birth

We musk seek revival.

Earth puts on her dress of glee;

Flowers and grasses hide her;

We go forth in charity-

Brothers all beside her;


For, as man this glory sees

In th' awakening season,

Reason learns the heart's decrees,

Hearts are led by reason.

Praise the Maker, all ye saints;

He with glory girt you,

He who skies and meadows paints

Fashioned all your virtue;


Praise Him, seers, heroes, kings,

Heralds of perfection;

Brothers, praise Him, for He brings

All to resurrection!

This lovely carol dates from the 13th century
and it's original author remains unknown.

  It first appeared in the Swedish "Piae Cantiones" 
(Pius Ecclesiastical and School Songs of Ancient Bishops)
in 1582, complied by a Swedish clergyman named Jacobus Finno.
These songs were later published by Theodoricus Petri Rutha of 
Finland, the son of an aristocratic family who was educated
at Rostock in Germany, the oldest university in the
 continental northern Europe and Baltic Sea region,
and the third oldest university in Germany.

The "Flower Carol" was later translated from Latin,
and first appeared in the English language in
 "The Oxford Book Of Carols" in 1928.