Scripture Verse

Multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Matthew 21:9

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, in The Gold­en Cen­ser (New York: Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1864), page 16.

Music: Ren­field E. Ro­berts, 1864 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the au­thor, or where to get a good pic­ture of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

When ho­san­nas loud re­sound­ing
Rang through Sa­lem joy­ful­ly,
As the Sav­ior came in tri­umph,
Children’s voic­es rose on high,
Hymning out the joy­ful cho­rus,
Shouting forth the glad ac­claim,
Mighty King, the Son of Da­vid,
Coming in Je­ho­vah’s name.

Jesus heard their lit­tle voic­es,
And with gen­tle, lov­ing face,
Smiled up­on the hap­py child­ren,
Subjects of His roy­al grace;
Hushed the migh­ty priests to si­lence
By the old pro­phet­ic word,
Forth from in­fant lips per­fect­ed,
Praise shall come be­fore the Lord.

Still the migh­ty King of Sa­lem
Comes in ho­ly triumph nigh—
Still ho­san­nas, loud re­sound­ing,
Rise from in­fant tongues on high—
Still the skep­tic and the scof­fer
Sneer and ri­di­cule the song—
And the Sav­ior smiles as sweet­ly
On the hap­py in­fant throng.

In the day when ga­thered mill­ions
Sing ho­san­nas, far away,
’Mid the shin­ing hosts of an­gels,
Infant tongues shall swell the lay.
Come then, child­ren, to the Sav­ior,
Sweetest wel­come waits you here;
And with those bright hosts in Hea­ven,
You shall sing His prais­es there.