Alas and Did My Savior Bleed - Traditional

Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man, the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Alas and Did My Savior Bleed lyrics were written by Isaac Watts and explore the mystery of why the Sovereign would devote His sacred head for such a worm as I. The song describes the darkness that covered the earth during the crucifixion and the debt of love that the believer can never repay. It is often sung to the tune At the Cross which adds a triumphant chorus to the somber verses. By singing the Alas and Did My Savior Bleed lyrics the congregation meditates on the depths of divine mercy and the personal nature of the atonement fostering a spirit of humility and lifelong devotion to the King.