O Filii et Filiae (O Sons and Daughters, Let Us Sing!)

“O Filii et Filiae” is a historic Latin Easter hymn attributed to the Franciscan friar Jean Tisserand, who died in Paris in 1494. The hymn is traditionally associated with the celebration of Christ's resurrection and begins with the joyful proclamation, “O Filii et filiae,” meaning “O sons and daughters.” Hymnary identifies Jean Tisserand as the author and records the hymn in numerous hymnals in Latin and in English translations. The English translation represented in Hymnary's records includes Edward Caswall's familiar version, “Ye sons and daughters of the Lord.”

The hymn tells the Easter story through a series of short stanzas. It begins by proclaiming that the King of heaven and King of glory has risen from the dead. The women then go to the tomb early in the morning, carrying spices to anoint the body of Jesus. At the tomb they encounter the angel, who announces that they are seeking the Lord who has risen and gone before them into Galilee. The hymn therefore follows the Gospel accounts of the empty tomb and the angelic announcement of Christ's resurrection.

Each stanza returns to the repeated “Alleluia,” making the hymn especially suitable for Easter worship. The repeated acclamation transforms the narrative into an act of congregational praise. The final stanza moves from recounting the resurrection to calling the whole Church to magnify the name of the risen Lord throughout earth and heaven. The resurrection is therefore not merely remembered as a past event, but celebrated as the foundation of Christian praise and hope.

The hymn's historical use is closely connected with Easter. Hymnary's notes indicate that the Latin text was already found in a seventeenth-century French source as a “Joyous Chant for the time of Easter,” while the hymn has subsequently appeared in many Catholic and Protestant hymnals. Hymnary currently records it in 24 hymnals and identifies the text as public domain.

“O Filii et Filiae” remains one of the characteristic Easter hymns of the historic Christian tradition because of its simple proclamation of the empty tomb, its repeated Alleluias, and its call for God's people to rejoice in the risen Christ. Its central message is the victory of Jesus Christ over death and the joyful response of His people: Alleluia, Christ is risen.