Outside the Holy City

Outside the ho­ly ci­ty

Unnumbered foot­steps throng

And crowd­ed mart and streets of trade

Fling back a swell­ing song.

The voic­es echo near­er

In flam­ing hope they sing:

Throw down your branch­es at His feet!

Hosanna to the King!

Once more be­side a ci­ty

The Son of Da­vid waits

Once more the child­ren throng to bring

A wel­come at the gates.

Within are hearts sore bur­dened

And feet that go as­tray;

O Christ of God

come near and walk

Our city streets to­day!

The branch­es that we of­fer

Are no un­mean­ing sign;

Take Thou the hands we lift on high

And make them whol­ly Thine.

No songs of shal­low wel­come

Are these we raise to Thee;

O give us faith to face the cross

And set Thy ci­ty free!

A dist­ant mu­sic min­gles

With all our songs to­day

The chor­ale from a ci­ty fair

Where sin has passed away.

There rides the Christ tri­umph­ant

And vic­tor songs ring clear;

O God

give us the strength to build

With Christ that ci­ty here!