Ut Queant Laxis (Hymn of St. John the Baptist)

Unbind our lips, O holy John, and free Our sin-polluted tongues from guilt and stain, So that our voices may resound in glee To sing the wonders of thy glorious reign. Lo! a swift Angel, from the skies descending, Foretells to Zachary thy noble birth, And tells the name and office never-ending That thou shalt bear upon the waiting earth. Praise to the Father, to the Son Most High, And to the Spirit who from Both proceeds; Whom all the choirs of heaven glorify, To whom be honor for all glorious deeds. Amen.