Scripture Verse

They clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head. Mark 15:17

Introduction

illustration
Christ at the Column
Antonello da Messina (1430–1479)

Words: At­trib­ut­ed to Ber­nard of Clair­vaux, 1153 (Sal­ve ca­put cru­en­ta­tum). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by Hen­ry W. Bak­er in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1861.

Music: Pas­sion Cho­rale Hans L. Hass­ler, Lust­gar­ten neu­er teutsch­er Ge­säng, 1601. Har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach, 1729 (🔊 pdf nwc). Hass­ler orig­in­al­ly set this tune to the se­cular words Mein Gmüt ist mir ver­wir­ret, das mächt ein Jung­frau zart.

portrait
Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153)

Lyrics

O sac­red head, sur­round­ed
By crown of pierc­ing thorn!
O bleed­ing head, so wound­ed,
So shamed and put to scorn!
Death’s pal­lid hue comes o’er Thee,
The glow of life de­cays;
Yet an­gel hosts adore Thee,
And trem­ble as they gaze.

I see Thy strength and vi­gor
All fad­ing in the strife,
And death with cru­el rigor
Bereaving Thee of life;
O ago­ny and dy­ing!
O love to sin­ners free!
Jesu, all grace sup­ply­ing,
O turn Thy face on me.

In this Thy bit­ter pass­ion,
Good Shep­herd, think of me
With Thy most sweet com­pass­ion,
Unworthy though I be:
Beneath Thy cross abid­ing
For ev­er would I rest,
In Thy dear love con­fid­ing,
And with Thy pre­sence blest.