The Strife Is O’er

The strife is o’er—the battle done,

The victory of life is won;

The song of triumph has begun:

Alleluia!

The pow’rs of death have done their worst,

But Christ their legions hath dispersed;

Let shouts of holy joy outburst:

Alleluia!

The three sad days have quickly sped,

He rises glorious from the dead;

All glory to our risen Head!

Alleluia!

He closed the yawning gates of hell,

The bars from heav’n’s high portals fell;

Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell:

Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,

From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,

That we may live and sing to Thee:

Alleluia!

LATIN HYMN

Symphonia Serenum Selectarum, 1695

Translated by Francis Pott (1832–1909)

NOTE THE PATTERN of this hymn: negative undone, positive done, our response. In each triad we see first the forces of evil that tried to conquer Christ but were beaten. Then we see a more positive expression of what has occurred. Christ has won, He rises, He opens heaven and frees slaves. Finally, we respond with songs and shouts of joy: Alleluia!

The richness of the text is matched by the majesty of the music, written by the sixteenth-century composer Giovanni de Palestrina. He was a devout Roman Catholic who created many wonderful sacred works still used in churches and secular settings. This tune was adapted from a “Gloria Patri” in one of his choral works. It first appeared with Francis Pott’s translation of this Latin text in 1861.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57