Now the Green Blade Riseth (Love Is Come Again)

This is a hymn about Jesus coming, and his resurrection. It was written by John M. C. Crum (1872-1958) and first published in the Oxford Book of Carols, 1928.   This combination of dates means that the while the text is still copyright in the UK and other countries where copyright is based on number of years since the creator's death - and copyright of the text is held by Oxford University Press - the situation in the USA is less clear, and depends on when it was published and either copyright was registered and renewed.

With meter 11 10 10 11, it is almost always set to NOËL NOUVELET, which is a 15th Century French melody and sometimes called FRENCH CAROL in English.

The original title end with with word "Riseth", but many contemporary recordings present it as "Now The Green Blade Rises".

Although carols are usually associated with Christmas, this work is equally appropriate at Easter.

Downloads

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Three-part choral arrangement by John Carter - digital download

Examples

Choir, with organ accompaniment

Duet with classical guitar accompaniment

Childrens's choir with piano and violin accompanimnet

Lyrics

The text is still copyright, so not reproduced here. But it is available on this website. . A rough outline is:

1  Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,... 

2  In the grave they laid Him, Love Whom we had slain .. 

3  Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain, ... 

4  When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain ...

Each verse ends with the line "Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green."

See more ...

• Christmas hymns
• Hymns for Easter

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY
1 Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.

2 In the grave they laid Him, Love who had been slain,
Thinking that He never would awake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.

3 Forth He came at Easter, like the risen grain,
Jesus who for three days in the grave had lain;
Quick from the dead the risen One is seen:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.

4 When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Jesus' touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.