Choral Akari Archive

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Hymn Information

Folder: Main III, no. 47
Tune used, name: 'Passion Chorale' or 'Herzlich tut mich verlangen'
Composer: Hassler, Hans Leo (1564–1612); composed in 1601; adapted by Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685–1750) in 1729
Lyricist: attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint (c. 1090–1153), and Arnulf, Aboot of Villers-la-Ville (c. 1200–1250); German translation by Gerhardt, Paul (1607–1676) in 1656; English translation by Alexander, James Waddell (1804–1859) in 1830
Source used for representative text: from hymnary.org, Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #261

Resources and Audios

Sheet music, project file and MIDI:

Audio files (separate parts for Lead, Accompaniment I, Accompaniment II and Bass):

Audio file (all parts combined):

Representative Text

1
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.

2
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered
was all for sinners' 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.

3
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 for Thee.