Text:O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Author (attributed to):Bernard of Clairvaux
Translator (from German to English):James W. Alexander
Translator (from Latin to German):Paul Gerhardt
Tune:PASSION CHORALE
Composer:Hans Leo Hassler
Harmonizer:Jo­hann S. Bach
Media:MIDI file

5298. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

1. O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

2. What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,
vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

3. Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish
that once was bright as morn!

4. Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor,
hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor,
Thy strength in this sad strife.

5. My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

6. What language shall I borrow
to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever,
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love to Thee.

7. My shepherd, now receive me;
my guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me
with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
to heavenly joys above.

8. Here I will stand beside Thee,
from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

9. The joy can never be spoken,
above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring,
I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

10. My Savior, be Thou near me
when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
by virtue of Thine own!

11. Be Thou my consolation,
my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion
when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well.

Text Information
First Line: O sacred Head, now wounded
Title: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
German Title: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
Author (attributed to): Bernard of Clairvaux (1153)
Translator (from Latin to German): Paul Gerhardt (1656)
Translator (from German to English): James W. Alexander (1830)
Meter: 76.76 D
Language: English
Source: Latin: "Salve caput cruentatum"
Copyright: Public Domain
Notes: Var­i­ous al­ter­a­tions of Al­ex­an­der’s trans­la­tion have been pub­lished; the ver­sion be­low is from his post­hu­mous 'The Break­ing Cruc­i­ble,' 1861, pag­es 7-10. Alternate tune: GERHARDT, Joseph P. Holbrook, 1862
Tune Information
Name: PASSION CHORALE
Composer: Hans Leo Hassler (1601)
Harmonizer: Jo­hann S. Bach (1729)
Meter: 76.76 D
Incipit: 36567 32371 17676
Key: C Major
Source: Lust­gar­ten neu­er teutsch­er Ge­säng 1601
Copyright: Public Domain
Notes: Hassler originally set this tune to the secular words "Mein Gmüt ist mir ver­wir­ret, das mächt ein Jung­frau zart."



Media
Adobe Acrobat image: Adobe Acrobat image
(Cyber Hymnal)
MIDI file: MIDI File
(Cyber Hymnal)
Noteworthy Composer score: Noteworthy Composer score
(Cyber Hymnal)
XML score: XML score
More media are available on the text authority and tune authority pages.

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us