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SDA Hymnal 159

The Old Rugged Cross

Words: [unclear]Music: [unclear]Tune: [unclear]6/8

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.

RefrainSo 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 some day for a crown.

2Oh, 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.

3To 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.

Words: [unclear]
Music: [unclear]
Tune: [unclear]
Also sung to: Old Rugged Cross (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #400)
Meter: 6/8

The verse

Meter: 12.9.12.9
Foot: anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 56% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCD

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

Verse 2

Oh, 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

Verse 3

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

Refrain

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,˘//˘˘//˘/9A

Till my trophies at last I lay down;/˘/˘˘/˘//9B

I will cling to the old rugged cross,˘˘/˘˘//˘/9A

And exchange it some day for a crown.˘˘/˘//˘˘/9B

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.