This joyful Eastertide

The original carol was published in 1894 in Carols for Easter and Ascensiontide, a publication put together by Woodward and Wood; and again in 1902 in The Cowley Carol Book (second edition).[1] They used a Dutch tune first published in 1624 by Dirk Rafaelsz Camphuysen and republished in 1685 by Joachim Oudaen with an Easter text of his own ("Hoe groot de vrugten zijn").

The music has been republished many times, often under choral arrangements. It appears in the Carols for Choirs collection under Wood's original arrangement.[2] Some of the arrangements published include that of William Llewellyn published by Oxford University Press,[3] and that of Philip Ledger.[4] More recently, Oxford University Press published the text set to a completely new tune composed by Matthew Owens in 2015 in the form of a choral anthem.[5]

Many versions exist of the three original verses; but in its original form as written by George Ratcliffe Woodward and published in 1894, it is as follows:

1. This joyful Eastertide, away with sin and sorrow.
My Love, the Crucified, hath sprung to life this morrow. (To refrain)

Refrain:
Had Christ, that once was slain, ne'er burst his three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain: but now hath Christ arisen.

2. My flesh in hope shall rest, and for a season slumber:
Till trump from east to west shall wake the dead in number. (To refrain)

3. Death's flood hath lost his chill, since Jesus crossed the river:
Lover of souls, from ill my passing soul deliver. (To refrain)

Two additional verses were penned by Basilian Father M. Owen Lee:[6]

4. As Victor in the strife and knowing no surrender,
He comes to bring us life: a risen life of splendour. (To refrain)

5. In Adam all men died; then Jesus came to save us.
For He was crucified and, dying, new life gave us. (To refrain)