When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Isaac Watts, 1707
4 verses, sung to Hamburg (L.M.), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Verse 2. Forbid it, Lord! that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most
I sacrifice them to his blood.
Verse 3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Verse 4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1707, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Isaac Watts published When I Survey the Wondrous Cross in 1707 in Hymns and Spiritual Songs. It is the seventh of twenty-two texts in the book's third part, which Watts wrote for the Lord's Supper. The text never names the bread or the cup, so churches also sing it in Lent and Holy Week. Watts gave it the title "Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ." The title points to Galatians 6:14, where Paul writes that he will boast in the cross of Christ. Hymnary's Psalter Hymnal notes tie the four stanzas to Philippians 3:7-8, Galatians 6:14, Matthew 27:29 and Romans 12:1. Watts wrote five stanzas. He changed a line in the first stanza for the 1709 edition and marked the fourth stanza as optional. Most hymnals leave the fourth out. Americans usually sing it to HAMBURG. Lowell Mason made the tune in 1824 and said it came from a Gregorian chant in the first tone. It was published in the Handel and Haydn Society collection in 1825. The pairing with Watts's text became firm in the 1880s and 1890s through Gospel Hymns No. 4 and a Presbyterian hymnal of 1895. British and Canadian hymnals often use ROCKINGHAM, which was first paired with the text in 1855. Louis Benson ranked it among the greatest hymns in English, and Erik Routley called it one of the most penetrating.
Isaac Watts
1674-07-17 to 1748-11-25
Isaac Watts was born in Southampton, England, on July 17, 1674, the son of a schoolmaster. He became a Nonconformist minister in London and lived his last years at Stoke Newington. His Hymns and Spiritual Songs first appeared in 1707 with 210 hymns, and a larger second edition followed in 1709. The Psalms of David Imitated came out in 1719. Counts of his hymns vary. Hutchins says more than 800, and Julian lists 454 hymns and psalm versions still in common use. Watts died on November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields in London.
Lowell Mason
1792-01-08 to 1872-08-11
Lowell Mason was born in Medfield, Massachusetts, on January 8, 1792. He worked as a bank clerk in Savannah, Georgia, before turning to music. His first major collection of church music came out in 1822 through the Boston Handel and Haydn Society, and he became the society's president and conductor in 1827. He moved to Boston in 1826 and founded the Boston Academy of Music. Hymnary calls him the father of American church music. He left Boston for New York in 1851 and died on August 11, 1872, at his home on Orange Mountain, New Jersey. He left his music library to Yale College.
- Hymnology Archive, When I survey the wondrous cross (David W. Music) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, hymn When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Psalter Hymnal 384) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, tune HAMBURG , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Galatians 6:14 In verse 14 of the hymn
- Philippians 3:7-8 In verse 7 of the hymn
- Matthew 27:29 In verse 29 of the hymn
- Romans 12:1 In verse 1 of the hymn
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross videos
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When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Metropolitan Tabernacle) Martijn de Groot, Congregation
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When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (Arr. Rutter, Webbe) KingsCollegeChoir, Choir
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When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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When I Survey the Wondrous Cross - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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When I Survey The Wondrous Cross Lyric Video - Keith & Kristyn Getty KeithandKristyn Getty, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 90 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 83 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 52 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 2 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in F.
Questions people ask
What is the story behind When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
Isaac Watts published it in 1707 in Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in a section written for the Lord's Supper. He titled it "Crucifixion to the World by the Cross of Christ" after Galatians 6:14.
Who wrote When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
Isaac Watts wrote the words in 1707. Lowell Mason made the tune HAMBURG in 1824.
What Bible verse is behind When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
Galatians 6:14. Hymnary also ties stanza one to Philippians 3:7-8, stanza three to Matthew 27:29 and stanza four to Romans 12:1.
What tune goes with When I Survey the Wondrous Cross?
HAMBURG by Lowell Mason is the usual American tune, listed in F major by Hymnary. British and Canadian hymnals often use ROCKINGHAM.
Is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross in the public domain?
Yes. Watts's words are public domain in the United States, first published in 1707. Mason's tune HAMBURG dates from 1824 and is also public domain.
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