John Mason Neale's translation of
Venantius Fortunatus' hymn
Vexilla Regis Prodeunt. The tunes '
Gonfalon Royal' and 'Vexilla Regis' are often used for this hymn, which is also translated as
Abroad the Regal Banners Fly.
The
royal banners forward go,
The
cross shines forth in
mystic glow;
Where he in
flesh, our flesh who made,
Our
sentence bore, our
ransom paid.
Where deep for us the
spear was dyed,
Life's
torrent rushing from his side,
To wash us in that
precious flood,
Where
mingled water flowed, and
blood.
Fulfilled is all that
David told
In true
prophetic song of old,
Amidst the
nations,
God, saith he,
Hath reigned and triumphed from the
tree.
O
tree of beauty,
tree of light!
O tree with
royal purple dight!
Elect on whose
triumphal breast
Those
holy limbs should find their rest.
Blest tree, whose chosen
branches bore
The
wealth that did the
world restore,
The price of
humankind to pay,
And spoil the
spoiler of his
prey.
Upon its arms, like
balance true,
He weighed the price for
sinners due,
The
price which none but he could pay,
and spoiled the
spoiler of his prey.
O cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still may thy power with us
avail
To give new virtue to the
saint,
And
pardon to the
penitent.
To thee,
eternal Three in One,
Let
homage meet by all be done:
whom by the cross thou dost restore,
preserve and govern evermore.