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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 266

O Holy Book

Words: Mason

Studio

1O holy Book of truth divine,
Safe-set on thy Maker's name;
The word of God as by thy shrine
Shall ever be the same.

2Thy sacred page with interest deep,
We'll join our youth to read;
Thy saving truth shall be our guide,
Our comfort in our need.

3Thy faithful words shall be our light,
To guide us on our way;
Thy wisdom like the morning bright
Shall brighten all our day.

4We love thy truth, we love thy word,
We'll hide it in our heart;
Thy precepts keep us near our Lord,
And never from him part.

Words
Mason

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 45% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O holy Book of truth divine,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Safe-set on thy Maker's name;???˘//˘/8B
The word of God as by thy shrine˘/˘/˘˘//8A
Shall ever be the same.˘/˘˘˘/6B

Verse 2

Thy sacred page with interest deep,//˘/˘/˘/8A
We'll join our youth to read;///˘/˘/7B
Thy saving truth shall be our guide,//˘/˘˘/˘/9C
Our comfort in our need./˘/˘˘/˘/8D

Verse 3

Thy faithful words shall be our light,//˘/˘˘/˘/9A
To guide us on our way;˘/˘˘/˘/7B
Thy wisdom like the morning bright//˘/˘/˘/8A
Shall brighten all our day.˘/˘//˘/7B

Verse 4

We love thy truth, we love thy word,˘///˘///8A
We'll hide it in our heart;//˘˘/˘/7B
Thy precepts keep us near our Lord,////˘//˘/9C
And never from him part.˘/˘˘˘/6B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.