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| ’T WAS the day when God’s Anointed | |
| Died for us the death appointed, | |
| Bleeding on the guilty cross. | |
| Day of darkness! day of terror! | |
| Deadly fruit of ancient error, | 5 |
| Nature’s fall and Eden’s loss. | |
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| Haste! prepare the bitter chalice! | |
| Mortal hate and mortal malice | |
| Lift the royal victim high! | |
| Like the serpent wonder-gifted, | 10 |
| Which the prophet once uplifted, | |
| For a sinful world to die. | |
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| Cruel hands with thorns have crowned him, | |
| Cruel tongues are raving round him, | |
| Jew and Gentile fiercely lower. | 15 |
| Friends are false and foes are many: | |
| “Eli, lama sabachthani,— | |
| Father, save me from this hour.” | |
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| Conscious of the deed unholy, | |
| Nature’s pulses beat more slowly, | 20 |
| And the sun his face doth hide. | |
| Darkness wrapped the sacred city, | |
| And the earth with fear and pity | |
| Trembled when the Just One died. | |
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| “It is finished!” Man of sorrows! | 25 |
| From thy cross our frailty borrows | |
| Strength to bear and conquer thus. | |
| While, extended there, we view thee, | |
| Mighty sufferer! draw us to thee, | |
| Sufferer victorious! | 30 |
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| Not in vain for us uplifted, | |
| Man of sorrows wonder-gifted, | |
| May that sacred symbol be; | |
| High and hoar amid the ages, | |
| Guide of heroes and of sages, | 35 |
| May it guide us still to thee! | |
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| Still to thee, whose love unbounded | |
| Sorrow’s depth for us hath sounded, | |
| Perfected by conflicts sore. | |
| Honored be thy cross forever! | 40 |
| Star that points our high endeavor | |
| Whither thou hast gone before! | |
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