O Sacred Head

The first and last verses were printed in the Magnificat.  The middle two verses are well-known and attributed to Henry Williams Baker (as noted w/in the text).  However, there are very rich and beautiful, lesser-known, original verses by Bernard of Clairvaux, which you can access via the link at the bottom.

O Sacred Head surrounded
By crown of piercing thorn;
O bleeding Head, so wounded,
Reviled and put to scorn:
The veil of death falls o'er you,
The light withdraws its rays,
Yet angel hosts adore you,
And tremble as they gaze.

I see thy strength and vigor
all fading in the strife,
and death with cruel rigor,
bereaving thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn thy face on me.

In this thy bitter passion,
Good Shepherd, think of me
with thy most sweet compassion,
unworthy though I be:
beneath thy cross abiding
for ever would I rest,
in thy dear love confiding,
and with thy presence blest.

---

Words: Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877), 1861;

In darkness, we betrayed you,
In mortal fear denied;
In cowardice we judged you,
In sin, we crucified:
Yet you look down in mercy
From on your cross above,
And you forgive our blindness
In your redeeming love.

(This last verse composed by Genevieve Glen.)

For the original eleven verses, see this site.