The translation was made English Roman Catholic academic, teacher and hymnologist, Michael Hodgetts (1936-2022), and published, unattributed, by ICEL in The Roman Missal. The original translation was made in 1994, and revised by Hodgetts in 2003.
It may be set to a number of 87.87.87 meter tunes, and several composers have written new tunes for it.
The Missal presents the chorus in alternating patterns (6 lines then, the 4 lines, 2 lines etc). The attached PowerPoint slides do not follow this pattern, to allow for the hymn being set to more regular tunes - but excess lines can be removed if required.
Downloads
Examples
Choir with organ, recorded live:
Singers with piano:
Contemporary arrangement, choir with chamber-orchestra style band:
Contemporary arrangement, choir with chamber-orchestra style band, professional recording:
Chant, unaccompanied:
Singer with piano, Spanish / English - professional recording:
Lyrics
Original first verseFaithful Cross the Saints rely on,
Noble tree beyond compare!
Never was there such a scion,
Never leaf or flower so rare.
Sweet the timber, sweet the iron,
Sweet the burden that they bear!
Updated first verse:
Holy cross that saints rely on,
Noble tree beyond compare!
Never was there such a scion,
Never leaf or flower so rare.
Lovely timber, lovely iron,
Lovely burden that they bear!
Sing, my tongue, in exaltation
Of our banner and device!
Make a solemn proclamation
Of a triumph and its price:
How the Saviour of creation
Conquered by his sacrifice!
For, when Adam first offended,
Eating that forbidden fruit,
Not all hopes of glory ended
With the serpent at the root:
Broken nature would be mended
By a second tree and shoot.
Thus the tempter was outwitted
By a wisdom deeper still:
Remedy and ailment fitted,
Means to cure and means to kill;
That the world might be acquitted,
Christ would do his Father’s will.
So the Father, out of pity
For our self-inflicted doom,
Sent him from the heavenly city
When the holy time had come:
He, the Son and the Almighty,
Took our flesh in Mary’s womb
Find a tiny baby crying—
Founder of the seas and strands:
Find his Virgin Mather tying
Rags around his feet and hands:
Find him in a manger lying
Tightly wrapped in swaddling bands!
So he came, the long-expected,
Not in glory, not to reign;
Only born to be rejected,
Choosing hunger, toil and pain,
Till the gallows was erected
And the Paschal Lamb was slain.
No disgrace was too abhorrent:
Nailed and mocked and parched he died;
Blood and water, double warrant,
Issue from his wounded side,
Washing in a mighty torrent
Earth and stars and ocean-tide.
Lofty timber, smooth your roughness,
Flex your boughs for blossoming:
Let your fibres lose their toughness,
Gently let your tendrils cling;
Lay aside your native gruffness,
Clasp the body of your King!
Noblest tree of all created,
Richly jewelled and embossed:
Post which blood has consecrated;
Spar that saves the tempest-tossed;
Scaffold-beam which, elevated,
Carries what the world has cost!
To the blessed Trinity
For redemption and salvation
Through the Paschal Mystery,
Now, in every generation,
And for all eternity. Amen.
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