Scripture Verse

The Lord is risen indeed. Luke 24:34

Introduction

Words: J. C. Mid­dle­ton, in Ca­rols New and Ca­rols Old, by Charles L. Hut­chins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Par­ish Choir, 1916), num­ber 350.

Music: Lew­is H. Red­ner (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Mid­dle­ton’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Lewis H. Redner (1831–1908)

Lyrics

The ris­en Lord to­day is king,
O haste ye forth to meet Him,
Exulting songs of tri­umph sing,
And so with glad hearts greet Him.
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
Forth from the grave in ma­jes­ty
He comes to set His peo­ple free!
Strew frag­rant blos­soms in His way,
And crown Him king on East­er Day!

Refrain

Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
Alleluia! Praise the Lord!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
Alleluia! Praise the Lord!

At ear­ly morn around His tomb
A won­drous light was beam­ing,
And from its depths a sweet per­fume,
Like frag­rant spices, stream­ing!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
While an­gels stood be­side the door
Which He had op­ened ev­er­more,
And said to His dis­ci­ples dear,
The Lord is ris­en—He is not here!

Refrain

The joy­ous news of East­er spread—
Tell far and wide the sto­ry
That Je­sus lives, who once was dead,
And reigns the King of glo­ry!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
His hand a jew­eled scep­ter bears—
His head a crown im­mor­tal wears—
And, writ in gems up­on His breast,
Are names of those He loves the best!

Refrain

Bring flash­ing jew­els to adorn
His crown of roy­al glo­ry!
Let dia­monds gleam where cru­el thorn
Once pressed His tem­ples gory!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
Your cost­li­est of­fer­ings to Him pay
Who rose tri­um­phant East­er Day:
Join pre­cious pearl with rar­est gem
And form with love His dia­dem!

Refrain

Hearts washed in blood make jew­els rare
And glow with light un­dy­ing:
Each lov­ing act, each fer­vent pray­er
A ra­di­ant gem sup­ply­ing!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
More pre­cious to the ris­en Christ
Than em­er­ald or ame­thyst!
And these, on East­er Day we bring
As grate­ful of­fer­ings to our king.

Refrain

On Thy dear cross we lay them down,
And there re­joic­ing leave them;
O King of Love, in mer­cy own
And gra­ciously re­ceive them!
Alleluia! Al­le­lu­ia!
Wear them for ev­er on Thy breast,
Thou in­ter­ced­ing, Great High Priest;
And when Thou com­est, Lord, again,
Count us among Thy jew­els then!

Refrain