Alone Thou goest forth, O Lord

This is my 40th entry in the Lenten Hymn-of-the-Day project.

Today's hymn is really the "last" one of Lent, as we now move into the period of the Triduum - the days of Maundy (Holy) Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.

These words are by Peter Abelard (1079-1142), and were translated by Francis Bland Tucker (1895-1984) and the music is William Tans'ur (or Tansur, Tanzer, Letansur) (6 November 1706, Dunchurch – 7 October 1783, St. Neots). He was an English hymn-writer, composer of West gallery music, and teacher of music. His output includes approximately a hundred hymn tunes and psalm settings and a Te Deum. His manual A New Musical Grammar (1746) was still popular in the nineteenth century. He was born in Dunchurch, Warwickshire to Edward Tanzer, a labourer, and Joan Alibone. In 1730 he married Elizabeth Butler and moved to Ewell, near Epsom. They had at least two sons. He taught psalmody in various places in the south-east of England, before moving to St Neots in Cambridgeshire, where he worked as a bookseller and music teacher, and spent the last forty years of his life.

The name of the tune is "Bangor" and there is an ENTIRE VERSE of the INTRODUCTION.

Alone thou goest forth, O Lord,
In sacrifice to die;
Is this thy sorrow naught to us
Who pass unheeding by?

Our sins, not thine, thou bearest, Lord,
Make us thy sorrow feel,
Till through our pity and our shame
Love answers love's appeal.

This is the earth's darkest hour, but thou
Dost light and life restore;
Then let all praise be given thee
Who livest evermore.

Give us compassion for thee, Lord,
That, as we share this hour,
Thy Cross may bring us to thy joy
And resurrection power.