O Wisdom, that came out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end to arrange everything strongly and sweetly: come and teach us carefulness.
O Adonai, guide of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in red flaming fire and gave him the law on Sinai: come and redeem us with your arm outstretched.
O Root of Jesse, that stands as the peoples' banner, at which kings shall shut their mouths, the one the nations will invoke, come and set us free, now do not delay.
O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, that opens and no one closes, closes and no one opens: come and release from prison the captive sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.
O Daystar, splendour of light eternal and sun of justice: come and give light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.
O King of the Nations, and the one they long for, cornerstone that makes both sides one: come and save humanity, which you formed from mud.
O Emmanuel, our King and lawgiver, whom the nations await, their Saviour: come and save us, Lord our God.
Repeated after each antiphon:
Verse: Skies, drop dew and clouds rain down the Just One.
Response: Open, Earth and sprout a Saviour.
These special antiphons to the Magnificat are sung each day at Vespers from 17th to 23rd December.
Translated from the Latin by Dinah Livingstone.