Scripture Verse

Hosanna to the Son of David. Matthew 21:9

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

Words: Mar­tin Behm, Cen­tur­ia Pre­ca­ti­o­num Rhy­thm­i­ca­rum (Wit­ten­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1606) (O Kö­nig All­er Ehr­en). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to En­glish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca (Lon­don & New York: George Newnes & Charles Scrib­ner’s Sons, 1855), pag­es 215–16.

Music: Kings­fold Eng­lish tune, ar­ranged by Ralph Vaugh­an Will­iams, 1906 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Lyrics

O King of Glo­ry! Da­vid’s Son!
Our so­ve­reign and our friend!
In Heav’n for­ev­er stands Thy throne,
Thy king­dom hath no end:
Oh now to all men, far and near,
Lord, make it known, we pray,
That as in Heav’n all crea­tures here
May know Thee and ob­ey.

The east­ern sages glad­ly bring
Their tri­bute-gifts to Thee;
They wit­ness that Thou art their king,
And hum­bly bow the knee;
To Thee the morn­ing star doth lead,
To Thee th’in­spir­èd Word,
We hail Thee, Sav­ior in our need,
We wor­ship Thee, the Lord.

Ah look on me with pi­ty­ing grace,
Though weak and poor I be,
Within Thy king­dom grant a place
Secure and blest to me.
O res­cue me from all my woes,
And shield me with Thine arm
From sin and death, the migh­ty foes
That dai­ly seek our harm.

And bid Thy Word, the fair­est star,
Within us clear­ly shine;
Keep sin and all false doc­trine far,
Since Thou hast claimed us Thine:
Let us Thy name aright con­fess,
And with Thy Christ­en­dom,
Our king and Sav­ior own and bless
Through all the world to come.