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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 387

LET THE LOWER LIGHTS BE BURNING

Words: P. P. BlissMusic: P. P. Bliss

Studio

1Bright-ly beams our Fa-ther's mer-cy From his light-house ev-er-more,
But to us he gives the keep-ing Of the lights a-long the shore.

RefrainLet the low-er lights be burn-ing! Send a gleam a-cross the wave!
Some poor faint-ing, strug-gling sea-man You may res-cue, you may save.

2Dark the night of sin has set-tled, Loud the an-gry bil-lows roar;
Ea-ger eyes are watch-ing, long-ing, For the lights a-long the shore.

3Trim your fee-ble lamp, my broth-er; Some poor sail-or, tem-pest-tossed,
Try-ing now to make the har-bor, In the dark-ness may be lost.

The verse

Meter
16.15
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 66% of beats fit
Rhyme
AA
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Bright-ly beams our Fa-ther's mer-cy From his light-house ev-er-more,/˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘/16A
But to us he gives the keep-ing Of the lights a-long the shore.˘˘˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/15A

Verse 2

Dark the night of sin has set-tled, Loud the an-gry bil-lows roar;/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/15A
Ea-ger eyes are watch-ing, long-ing, For the lights a-long the shore./˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/15A

Verse 3

Trim your fee-ble lamp, my broth-er; Some poor sail-or, tem-pest-tossed,/˘/˘/˘/˘///˘????16A
Try-ing now to make the har-bor, In the dark-ness may be lost./˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘˘/15B

Refrain

Let the low-er lights be burn-ing! Send a gleam a-cross the wave!/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/15A
Some poor faint-ing, strug-gling sea-man You may res-cue, you may save.///˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘˘˘/16A

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.