O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (with lyrics) 3 verses

"O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" (ELW 351) is a hymn that we tend to sing during Lent with particular emphasis during Holy Week as it tells of Christ's passion and compassion.

The lyrics come from a poem that is often attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century), but is now attributed to Arnulf of Leuven (13th century).

The poem had seven sections, each focusing on a different part of Jesus' body: his feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart and head. Paul Gerhardt, a German hymn writer from the 1600s, translated the last section of the seven from Latin into German.

The tune was adapted from a German melody by Hans Leo Hassler for a funeral. Johann Sebastian Bach further popularized the tune using it 5 times in the St. Matthew Passion, his Christmas Oratorio, and in 5 cantatas.

Artists: John Gosswein, Judy Gosswein, Stephanie Straatmann, Gary Straatmann, Mitzi Gifford, Deb Middleton, and Micah Spruth-Janssen
Text: Paul Gerhardt (based on Arnulf of Louvain)
Music: Hans Leo Hassler
Arranged: Johann Sebastian Bach