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Hymns and Tunes 1886 400

The Old Rugged Cross

Words: George BennardTune: Old Rugged CrossIrregular with Refrain

1On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

3In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

4To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where his glory forever I'll share.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

Scripture
Galatians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 1:18

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
12.9.12.9.9.9.9.9
Foot
anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 57% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCBDEDE
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,˘˘//˘//˘//˘/12A
The emblem of suffering and shame;˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/9B
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best˘˘/˘///˘/˘˘/12C
For a world of lost sinners was slain.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9D
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,˘//˘˘//˘/9A
Till my trophies at last I lay down;/˘/˘˘/˘//9E
I will cling to the old rugged cross,˘˘/˘˘//˘/9A
And exchange it someday for a crown.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9E

Verse 2

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/12A
Has a wondrous attraction for me;˘˘/˘˘/˘˘˘9B
For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above˘˘//˘//˘/˘˘/12C
To bear it to dark Calvary.˘/˘˘//˘˘8D
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,˘//˘˘//˘/9E
Till my trophies at last I lay down;/˘/˘˘/˘//9F
I will cling to the old rugged cross,˘˘/˘˘//˘/9E
And exchange it someday for a crown.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9F

Verse 3

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,˘˘//˘//˘/˘˘/12A
A wondrous beauty I see,˘/˘/˘˘/7B
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,˘/˘˘///˘/˘˘/12C
To pardon and sanctify me.˘/˘˘/˘˘˘8B
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,˘//˘˘//˘/9D
Till my trophies at last I lay down;/˘/˘˘/˘//9E
I will cling to the old rugged cross,˘˘/˘˘//˘/9D
And exchange it someday for a crown.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9E

Verse 4

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/12A
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;˘/˘˘//˘/8B
Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,///˘//˘˘//˘/12C
Where his glory forever I'll share./˘/˘˘/˘//9B
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,˘//˘˘//˘/9D
Till my trophies at last I lay down;/˘/˘˘/˘//9E
I will cling to the old rugged cross,˘˘/˘˘//˘/9D
And exchange it someday for a crown.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9E

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.