1. Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne; Hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns All music but its own; Awake my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King Thro' all eternity. 2. Crown Him Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave, And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save; His glories now we sing Who died, and rose on high, Who died eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die. 3. Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose pow'r a scepter sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be pray'r and praise: His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet Fair flow'rs of paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet. 4. Crown Him the Lord of love; Behold His hands and side, Those wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified: All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me: Thy praise and glory shall not fail Thro'out eternity.
Lyrics: Verses 1, 2, 4: Matthew Bridges; Verse 3: Godfrey Thring
Music:
George Job Elvey
Tune: DIADEMATA
Meter: S.M.D.
Matthew Bridges, 1800–1894 and Godfrey Thring, 1823–1903
This worshipful text is the combined effort of two distinguished Anglican clergymen, each of whom desired to write a hymn of exaltation to our suffering but now victorious Lord. Matthew Bridges’ version first appeared in 1851 with six stanzas. Twenty-three years later Godfrey Thring wrote six additional stanzas, which appeared in his collection Hymns and Sacred Lyrics. The hymn’s present form includes stanzas one, two, and four by Bridges and the third verse by Thring. The tune, “Diademata” (the Greek word for crowns), was composed especially for this text by George Elvey, a noted organist at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England.