Hymn
O sacred head now wounded
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.
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
Was all for sinner's 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.
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.
Be near when I am dying,
O show Thy cross to me;
And for my succor flying,
Come, Lord, and set me free.
These eyes, new faith receiving,
From Jesus shall not move,
For He who dies believing,
Dies safely through Thy love.
O sacred head now wounded — Text from Concordia, 1918. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/o-sacred-head-now-wounded
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote O sacred head now wounded?
The words of O sacred head now wounded are credited to St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Arnulf, Abbot of Villers-la-Ville, Paul Gerhardt and James W. Alexander; the version here was published in 1918. The library holds 2 more hymns by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, including Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee and Love Which Passeth Knowledge.
Is O sacred head now wounded public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Concordia, published in 1918. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of O sacred head now wounded?
O sacred head now wounded is in 7.6.7.6 D. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Hosanna, Loud Hosanna, O Jesus, Thou Art Standing and The Wise May Bring Their Learning.