1. Upon the cross extended, See, world, thy Lord suspended, Thy Savior yields His breath. The Prince of Life from heaven Himself hath freely given To shame and blows and bitter death.
2. Come hither now and ponder, 'Twill fill thy soul with wonder, Blood streams from every pore. Through grief whose depth none knoweth, From His great heart there floweth Sigh after sigh of anguish o'er.
3. Who is it that hath bruised Thee? Who hath so sore abused Thee And caused Thee all Thy woe? While we must make confession Of sin and dire transgression, Thou deeds of evil dost not know.
4. I caused Thy grief and sighing By evils multiplying As countless as the sands. I caused the woes unnumbered With which Thy soul is cumbered, Thy sorrows raised by wicked hands.
5. 'Tis I who should be smitten My doom should here be written: Bound hand and foot in hell. The fetters and the scourging, The floods around Thee surging, 'Tis I who have deserved them well.
6. The load Thou takest on Thee, That pressed so sorely on me, it crushed me to the ground. The cross for me enduring, The crown for me securing, My healing in Thy wounds is found.
7. A crown of thorns Thou wearest, My shame and scorn Thou bearest, That I might ransomed be. My Bondsman, ever willing, My place with patience filling, From sin and guilt hast made me free.
8. Into death's jaws Thou springest, Deliv'rance to me bringest From such a monster dire. My death away Thou takest, Thy grave its grave Thou makest; Of love, O unexampled fire!
9. Thy cords of love, my Savior, Bind me to Thee forever, I am no longer mine. To Thee I gladly tender All that my life can render And all I have to Thee resign.
10. Not much can I be giving In this poor life I'm living, But one thing do I say: Thy death and sorrows ever, Till soul from body sever, My heart remember shall for aye.
11. Thy cross I'll place before me, Its saving power be o'er me, Wherever I may be; Thine innocence revealing, Thy love and mercy sealing, The pledge of truth and constancy.
12. How God at our transgression To anger gives expression, How loud His thunder rolls, How fearfully He smiteth, How sorely He requiteth,- All this Thy sufferings teach my soul.
13. From them shall I be learning, How I may be adorning, My heart with quietness, And how I still should love them Whose malice aye doth move them To grieve me by their wickedness.
14. When evil men revile me, With wicked tongues defile me, I'll curb my vengeful heart. The unjust wrong I'll suffer, Unto my neighbor offer Forgiveness for each bitter smart.
15. I'll on the cross unite me To Thee, what doth delight me I'll there renounce for aye. Whate'er Thy Spirit's grieving, There I'll for aye be leaving, As much as in my strength doth lay.
16. Thy groaning and thy sighing, Thy bitter tears and dying, With which Thou wast opprest,- They shall, when life is ending, Be guiding and attending My way to Thine eternal rest.
Words: Paul Gerhardt, 1648. Translation composite before 1941.
Music: 'Innsbruck' or 'Nun ruhen alle Wälder' or 'O Welt, Ich Muss Dich Lassen' Heinrich Isaac, 1490.
Setting: Johann Sebastian Bach, 1734.
copyright: public domain. This score is a part of the Open Hymnal Project, 2025 Revision.
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