Scripture Verse

I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever. Revelation 1:18

Introduction

Words: E. Ma­bel Daw­son, in Car­ols New and Car­ols Old, by Charles L. Hut­chins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 305.

Music: Ar­thur H. Brown (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Daw­son (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Brown,

portrait
Arthur Brown (1830–1926)

Lyrics

Alleluia! sing the tri­umph
Of the Vic­tor in the strife,
Who, thro’ death, Him­self hath brought us
To the re­sur­rect­ion life.
Lo! the bars of death are ri­ven,
Now for ev­er op­en stand;
Never more shall close the por­tals
Of the Re­sur­rect­ion Land,
Never more shall close the por­tals
Of the Re­sur­rect­ion Land!

Alleluia! lo, the dark­ness
Breaks in ev­er­last­ing dawn,
Fled for ev­er in the ra­di­ance
Of the re­sur­rect­ion morn.
Now is past the night of weep­ing,
With the morn­ing cometh joy;
By His glo­ri­ous re­sur­rect­ion
Death’s fell pow­er did Christ de­stroy.
By His glo­ri­ous re­sur­rect­ion
Death’s fell pow­er did Christ de­stroy.

Lo! the keys of death are hold­en
By the Vic­tor glo­ri­fied;
Christ the gates of Heav’n hath op­ened
Unto all be­liev­ers wide.
Day and night the great pro­cess­ion
Of the ran­somed en­ters in;
Jesus lives! be­cause He liv­eth,
Life eter­nal man may win.
Jesus lives! be­cause He liv­eth,
Life eter­nal man may win.

Alleluia! Christ is ris­en!
He hath tri­umphed glo­ri­ous­ly:
Now, through Christ may man tri­um­phant,
Joyful gain the vic­to­ry.
Alleluia! Sav­ior keep us
By Thy heav’n­ly grace, we pray,
That we keep with Thee in Hea­ven
Everlasting East­er Day.
That we keep with Thee in Hea­ven
Everlasting East­er Day.

Alleluia! Lord, we hail Thee,
Join the chor­us of the skies,
And with an­gels and arch­an­gels
Bid the hymn of praise arise.
Alleluia! praise and glo­ry,
Laud, thanks­giv­ing, hon­or, might,
Worship, bless­ing, ado­ra­tion,
To the Vic­tor In­fi­nite.
Worship, bless­ing, ado­ra­tion,
To the Vic­tor In­fi­nite.