The Roman Soldier

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Roman soldier, tell us true

Author: John H. Hopkins
Tune: [Roman Soldier, tell us true]
Published in 8 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Roman Soldier, tell us true,
What sort of a watch on guard are you?
The sepulchre, sealed safe at night,
How came it empty at morning light?
Why, Peter and Andrew, James, and John,
They came by night, removed the stone,
And long before the break of day,
They stole His Body far away.
Fie, Old Roman, why tell a lie?
For

Chorus:
Christ is risen,
Christ is risen indeed.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!

2. Roman Soldier, tell us then,
Why slew you not those thieving men?
Were a few unarmed Jews too hard,
For a veteran mail-clad, Roman guard?
O no! you Jews we never fear;
But we had no chance for sword or spear,
For up so softly they did creep,
While we were all of us fast asleep.
Fie, Old Roman, why tell a lie?
For [Chorus]

Amen.

Source: Voices of Praise: for school and church and home #380

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Author: John H. Hopkins

John Henry Hopkins, Jr MA USA 1820-1891. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, having 12 siblings, the son of pioneer parents (his father from Dublin, his mother from Hamburg) he became an ecclesiologist. His father had been an ironmaster, school teacher, lawyer, priest and second Episcopal Bishop of Vermont, (becoming presiding bishop in 1865). When his father founded the Vermont Episcopal Institute, he needed an assistant to help run it, so he picked his son to become a tutor and disciplinarian. The younger Hopkins played the flute and bugle in the school orchestra and also taught Sunday school. John Henry reflected the artistic talents of both parents in music, poetry, and art. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 1839, he returned… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Roman soldier, tell us true
Title:	The Roman Soldier
Author:	John H. Hopkins
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Christ is risen, Christ is risen indeed
Copyright:	Public Domain