On my least favorite hymn-writer

I don't know what the strange compulsion is to update the English in many wonderful examples of English hymnody, especially when the words would still be understood.  These texts are works of art, and examples of beautiful English poetry.

Many of these updates seem to have been made by someone named 'alt', who generally follows the listing of the original writer and perhaps the translator.  In some hymnals, he seems to have collaborated on almost every hymn written before 1970.

With some changes, I guess its just a matter of taste, whether you want to update 'thee' to 'you'; but there are some where the change makes absolutely no grammatical sense whatsoever.

Case in point:  Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand
Ponder nothing earthly minded
For with blessing in his hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Our full homage to demand.


Descending is the chosen replacement for 'descendeth'.  Christ is the subject of the clause!  'descend' is the main verb of the clause.  'Descending' in this context makes absolutely no sense.  The proper form would be 'descends'.  I've seen it as 'descends now', but really, is that even  necessary?  Would anyone not get the meaning if they used 'descendeth'?  

This change is especially irksome when they do it to popular or often-sung hymns/prayers.  It's not a hymn, but the Angelus is a good example.  Most people who know the Angelus know its traditional translation.  You throw everybody off when you use a new one.

Sometimes a change might be necessary, I'll admit, when the phrases used a so far out there as to be unintelligible.  But 'thee', 'thou', '-eth', and the like do not fall into such a category.  

But in the end, even if you don't want to use archaic English, at least use meaningful, gramatically correct English when 'updating' hymns.  

And it's good to remember that all things of this world will fade away, even 'alt'.