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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 305

Prayer

Words: J. MontgomeryMusic: Henry J. GauntlettTune: OlmutzC. M.

Studio

1Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed, The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.

2Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye When none but God is near.

3Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try; Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach The Majesty on high.

4Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, The Christian's native air, His watchword at the gates of death; He enters heaven with prayer.

5O thou by whom we come to God, The Life, the Truth, the Way, The path of prayer thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray.

Tune
Olmutz
Meter
C. M.
Scripture
Matthew 6:9

The verse

Meter
31 · the hymnal prints C. M.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 63% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed, The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast./˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘????˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/31A

Verse 2

Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The falling of a tear, The upward glancing of an eye When none but God is near./˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘/28A

Verse 3

Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try; Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach The Majesty on high./˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/28A

Verse 4

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, The Christian's native air, His watchword at the gates of death; He enters heaven with prayer./˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/29A

Verse 5

O thou by whom we come to God, The Life, the Truth, the Way, The path of prayer thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray.˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘///////˘/˘/28A

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.