Are you looking for a contemporary hymn text for Palm Sunday? Most hymnals carry only a few hymns on the Triumphal Entry—often just All Glory, Laud and Honour and Hosanna, Loud Hosanna. Both are excellent texts, and rightly deserve a place in worship.
But if you’re open to adding new texts, here’s one worth considering. Blest be the King Whose Coming (see below) was originally written in Spanish by Argentinean bishop Federico Pagura, and later translated into English by Fred Pratt Green.
What’s great about this text is that you can sing it to a tune most people already know and might expect to sing on Palm Sunday. It’s written in 7 6 7 6 ST. THEODULPH (the tune many use for All Glory, Laud and Honour) and ELLACOMBE (the tune many use for Hosanna, Loud Hosanna).
Other possible tunes:
AURELIA (often sung to “The Church’s One Foundation”)
LANCASHIRE (often sung to “Lead On, O King Eternal”)
ALSTYNE (often sung to “My Song Shall Be of Jesus”).
If you’d prefer to use a brand new tune, Hope Publishing offers a PDF of the text to HUMBLE KING, a new tune by Hal Hopson. Go to their Online Hymnody site, and search for “Blest be the King.”
If you have a CCLI, One License or LicenSing copyright license, use of the text is covered by your license fees.
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
For him let doors be opened, no hearts against him barred!
Not robed in royal splendour, in power and pomp comes he,
but clad as are the poorest - such his humility.
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
By those who truly listen his voice is truly heard.
Pity the proud and haughty, who have not learned to heed
the Christ who is the Promise and has our ransom paid.
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
He only to the humble reveals the face of God.
All power is his, all glory! All things are in his hand,
all ages and all peoples, till time itself shall end!
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
Blest be the King whose coming is in the name of God!
He offers to the burdened the rest and grace they need.
Gentle is he and humble! And light his yoke shall be,
for he would have us bear it so he can make us free.
Words copyright 1974 Hope Publishing Company
Words copyright 1974 Hope Publishing Company
