The text is attributed to Wipo of Burgundy, a chaplain from the 11th century. The music is the tune of Victimae Paschalis, an ancient sequence from before the Council of Trent.
Once you are familiar with the melody, you can sing more verses:
1. Christ the Lord is risen today;
Christians, haste your vows to pay;
Make your joy and praises known
At the Paschal Victim’s throne.
2. Christ, the Victim undefiled,
God and man has reconciled;
When in fierce and bloody strife
Met together Death and Life:
3. Christ, Who once for sinners bled,
Now the first born from the dead,
Throned in glorious majesty,
Reigns through all eternity.
4. Christians, on this happy day
Haste with joy your vows to pay;
Christ is risen,
today we cry;
Now He lives no more to die.
5. Hail, eternal Hope on high!
Hail, Thou King of victory!
Hail, Thou Prince of life adored!
Help and save us, gracious Lord.
If you’d like to print out sheet music with all four parts, please visit Corpus Christi Watershed: sheet music here.
