Alleluia, The Strife is O'er / Finita Iam Sunt Proelia

O Let the Song of Praise be Sung

Alleluia, The Strife is O'er is a 1859 translation by Anglican Priest, Francis Pott (1832-1909) of Finita Jam Sunt Praelia, an anonymous Latin hymn first published in the 1695 Jesuit collection: Symphonia Sirenum Selectarum, Cologne. In 1861, William H. Monk (1823-1889) added "Alleluias" and set it to the tune Victory, which is an adaptation of the Gloria Patri from the 1591 Choral Mass, Magnificat Tertii Toni by Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594). In the Liturgy of the Hours, The Strife is O'er, The Battle Done is sung at Easter.



THE STRIFE IS O’ER, THE BATTLE DONE by Francis Pott, 1861 (Public Domain)

1. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The strife is o'er, the battle done,
the victory of life is won;
the song of triumph has begun. Alleluia!

2. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The powers of death have done their worst,
but Christ their legions hath dispersed:
let shout of holy joy outburst. Alleluia!

3. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The three sad days are quickly sped,
he rises glorious from the dead:
all glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!

4. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
He closed the yawning gates of hell,
the bars from heaven's high portals fell;
let hymns of praise his triumphs tell! Alleluia!

5. Alleluia, alleluia, 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!


FINITA IAM SUNT PROELIA - Anonymous, 1695 (Public Domain)

1. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Finita iam sunt proelia,
Est parta iam victoria:
Gaudeamus et canamus, Alleluia.

2. Post fata mortis barbara
Devicit Jesus tartara:
Applaudamus et psallamus, Alleluia.

3. Surrexit die tertia
Caelesti clarus gratia
nsonemus et cantemus, Alleluia.

4. Sunt clausa stygis ostia
Et caeli patent atria:
Gaudeamus et petamus, Alleluia.

5. Per tua, Jesu, vulnera
Nos mala morte libera,
Ut vivamus et canamus, Alleluia.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!