The Crucifixion

Representative Text

1 Bound upon th'accursed tree,
Faint and bleeding, who is He?
By the eyes so pale and dim,
Streaming blood and writhing limb,
By the flesh with scourges torn,
By the crown of twisted thorn,
By the drooping, death-dewed brow,
Son of Man, 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!

2 Bound upon th'accursed tree,
Faint and bleeding, who is He?
By the prayer for them that slew,
"Lord, they know not what they do!"
By the promise, ere He died,
To the felon at His side,
Lord, our suppliant knees we bow,
Son of God, 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!

3 Bound upon th'accursed tree,
Sad and dying, who is He?
By the last and bitter cry
In the final agony,
By the baffled, burning thirst,
By the side so deeply pierced,
Crucified, we know Thee now,
Son of Man, 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!

4 Bound upon th'accursed tree,
Dread and awful, who is He?
By the spoiled and empty grave,
By the souls He died to save,
By the conquest He hath won,
By the saints before His throne,
By the rainbow round His brow,
Son of God, 'tis Thou! 'tis Thou!

Amen.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #142

Author: Henry Hart Milman

Milman, Henry Hart, D.D., the youngest son of Sir Francis Milman (who received his Baronetage as an eminent Court physician), was born Feb. 10th, 1791, and educated at Dr. Burney's at Greenwich, and subsequently at Eton. His career at B. N. C. Oxford, was brilliant. He took a first class in classics, and carried off the Newdigate, Latin Verse, Latin Essay, and English Essay. His Newdigate on the Apollo Belvedere, 1812, is styled by Dean Stanley "the most perfect of Oxford prize poems." His literary career for several years promised to be poetical. His tragedy Fazio was played at Covent Garden, Miss O'Neill acting Bianca. Samor was written in the year of his appointment to St. Mary's, Reading (1817); The Fall of Jerusalem (1820); Belshazzar… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Bound upon the accursed tree
Title: The Crucifixion
Author: Henry Hart Milman
Meter: 7.7.7.7 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Bound upon the accursed tree. H. H. Milman. [Good Friday.] This popular hymn appeared in Bishop Heber's posthumous Hymns, &c, 1827, p. 62, as the first of three hymns for Good Friday, in 4 stanzas of 10 lines, but omitted, curiously enough, from Dr. Milman's own Psalms & Hymns, 1837. One of the first, if not the first, to bring it into regular congregational use was Elliott, who gave it in his Psalms & Hymns, 1835. From that date it gradually grew in popular favour until its use has become extensive, both in Great Britain and in America. In the Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, it is in 3 stanzas of 8 lines This was a special revision for that collection. Original text in Lyra Britannica, 1867, p. 404; and Schaff's Christ in Song, 1870, p. 163.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #606
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #606

TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #142

The Baptist Hymnal #124

Include 60 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us