See her weeping hard hot tears,
Grieving for her only Son,
Shrinking as they plunge their spears
Killing human Three in One.
As they hammer hands to hardwood,
Nail the body, crush the bone,
Mary feels in her the sorrow,
A sword of her very own.
All of us have loved a mother,
and been loved by her in turn,
As we watch the Saviour suffer,
Mary’s suffering we can learn.
So how sad and quietly moaning
Was the Mother at the Cross,
Dignity her anguish owning
In her catastrophic loss.
Who among us watching Christians
Does not weep as Mary mourns?
Who is so cold and hard-hearted
Not to feel the Paschal thorns?
Standing by your side, dear Mother,
May we share your love of Christ,
Count the death of our dear Brother
As God’s generous sacrifice.
Stabat Mater Dolorosa, attributed to Friar Jacapone (Crazy Jim) da Todi (ca. 1230 – 1306)
Paraphrase by Ted Witham tssf © 2021
Metre: 8787
Cross of Jesus TiS 136
or 8787D
Abbot’s Leigh TiS 153
Franciscan hymns 