Advent Hymn: "People, Look East" -- Looking for meaning

[japhy]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place…

One of my favorite Advent hymns is “People, Look East”. But I’m not sure I understand the line: “Stars, keep your watch. When night is dim / one more light the bowl shall brim.”

Any ideas?

 

[3DOCTORS]

I would think “the bowl” would refer to the dome of the heavens, and “brim” to the filling up of said heavens with more light. Hope this helps!

 

[baltobetsy]

I would think “the bowl” would refer to the dome of the heavens, and “brim” to the filling up of said heavens with more light. Hope this helps!

And it goes without saying that the light referred to is Christ Himself.

 

[karennascargo3]

I could be wrong, but I’ve always thought of it as the star in east that hung over the Christ Child. In other words, when it appears, heaven and earth are complete and filled to the brim because the Messiah has arrived.

 

[Waiting]

I could be wrong, but I’ve always thought of it as the star in east that hung over the Christ Child. In other words, when it appears, heaven and earth are complete and filled to the brim because the Messiah has arrived.

This has been my thinking, too. The Star of Bethlehem was in the East and pointed to the place where the Christ Child lay.

 

[japhy]

Yes, I’m not at a loss as to the Christological significance of the hymn. I’m just a bit puzzled as to the language: “When night is dim, one more light the bowl shall brim.”

The verb “to brim” is being used transitively here, I think: “one more light the bowl shall brim” → “one more light will brim the bowl.” (“To brim” meaning “to fill (e.g. a goblet) to the brim.”) Thus, as 3DOCTORS said, if the “bowl” is the “dome” of the heavens, then there will be one more light (in one sense, the Star of Bethlehem, but in a fuller sense, the Lord Himself, Who is the light of the world) that will fill up the heavens with its light in this dim night.

That works for me!