Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Asia: Vols. XXI–XXIII. 1876–79.
O Sacred Head! Now Wounded
By Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676)O S
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, thy only crown;
O sacred Head! what glory,
What bliss, till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.
In other days the world
All feared when thou appearedst:
What shame on thee is hurled!
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn;
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!
Upon that holy cheek,
The roses once abiding
Upon those lips so meek,
Alas! they have departed;
Wan Death has rifled all!
For, weak and broken-hearted,
I see thy body fall.
Was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine, was the transgression,
But thine the deadly pain.
Lo! here I fall, my Saviour:
’T is I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me thy grace.
My Shepherd, make me thine;
Of every good the fountain,
Thou art the spring of mine.
Thy lips with love distilling,
And milk of truth sincere,
With heaven’s bliss are filling
The soul that trembles here.
My place,—forbid me not!
Hence will I ne’er be shaken,
Though thou to death be brought.
If pain’s last paleness hold thee,
In agony opprest,
Then, then, will I enfold thee
Within this arm and breast!
Above all joys beside,
When in thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
My Lord of life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside the cross expiring,
I ’d breathe my soul to thee.
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 to thee.
O, part not thou from me!
When mortal pangs are darting,
Come, Lord, and set me free!
And when my heart must languish
Amidst the final throe,
Release me from mine anguish
By thine own pain and woe!
O, show thy cross to me;
And for my succor flying,
Come, Lord, and set me free!
These eyes new faith receiving
From Jesus shall not move;
For he, who dies believing,
Dies safely through thy love.