Sing, my tongue, the ageless story

Representative Text

1 Sing, my tongue, the ageless story
As the cross is lifted high!
Tell how Christ our Savior conquered,
When for us he came to die
As a victim in the battle,
Death's dominion to belie.

2 Adam tasted sin and sorrow,
Eating of the fearful tree;
All undoing our enchainment,
By the tree Christ sets us free,
Crushing hell's own tool of bondage
By his great humility.

3 Silence cloaked the earth and heavens
Round the hill of Calvary;
Nailed upon the tree of glory,
Christ endured his agony.
In his royal blood descending
Comes our peace, our liberty.

4 Cross triumphant! Cross transforming!
Ensign of humanity!
Faithful cross, above all others,
One and only noble tree:
Gracious wood and gracious iron,
Gracious burden borne on thee!


Source: Catholic Book of Worship III #381

Author: Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus

Venantius Honorius Clematianus Fortunatus (b. Cenada, near Treviso, Italy, c. 530; d. Poitiers, France, 609) was educated at Ravenna and Milan and was converted to the Christian faith at an early age. Legend has it that while a student at Ravenna he contracted a disease of the eye and became nearly blind. But he was miraculously healed after anointing his eyes with oil from a lamp burning before the altar of St. Martin of Tours. In gratitude Fortunatus made a pilgrimage to that saint's shrine in Tours and spent the rest of his life in Gaul (France), at first traveling and composing love songs. He developed a platonic affection for Queen Rhadegonda, joined her Abbey of St. Croix in Poitiers, and became its bishop in 599. His Hymns far all th… Go to person page >

Translator: Malcolm Quinn

(no biographical information available about Malcolm Quinn.) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Sing, my tongue, the ageless story
Author: Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus
Translator: Malcolm Quinn
Copyright: By permission of the Dominican Friars of Toronto

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Catholic Book of Worship III #381

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