225. Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle

1 Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle;
tell the triumph far and wide;
tell aloud the wondrous story
of the cross, the Crucified;
tell how Christ, the world's redeemer,
vanquished death the day he died.

2 God in mercy saw us fallen,
sunk in shame and misery,
felled to death in Eden's garden,
where in pride we claimed the tree;
then another tree was chosen,
which the world from death would free.

3 Tell how, when at length the fullness
of the appointed time was come,
Christ, the Word, was born of woman,
left for us the heavenly home,
blazed the path of true obedience,
shone as light amidst the gloom.

4 Thirty years among us dwelling,
Jesus went from Nazareth,
destined, dedicated, willing,
did his work and met his death;
like a lamb he humbly yielded
on the cross his dying breath.

5 Faithful cross, true sign of triumph,
be for all the noblest tree;
none in foliage, none in blossom,
none in fruit your equal be;
symbol of the world's redemption,
for your burden makes us free.

Text Information
First Line: Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle
Title: Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle
Author: Venantius Honorius Fortunatus (6th cent.)
Translator: John Mason Neale (1851, alt.)
Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.7
Language: English
Publication Date: 2013
Scripture: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Topic: Christian Year: Palm Sunday; Christian Year: Maundy Thursday; Christian Year: Good Friday (5 more...)
Tune Information
Name: FORTUNATUS NEW
Composer: Carl F. Schalk (1967)
Meter: 8.7.8.7.8.7
Key: d minor
Copyright: © 1967 Concordia Publishing House
Notes: Guitar chords do not correspond with keyboard harmony.


Text Information:

This enduring and profound meditation on the mystery of the cross was written in Latin in the 6th century, translated into English in the 19th century, and revised in the 21st century. It is set here to a simple, dignified, and sturdy melody created for it in the 20th century.


Media
Audio recording: Audio (MP3)
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