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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 408

AN OPEN BIBLE FOR THE WORLD

Words: Wm. J. KirkpatrickMusic: Wm. J. Kirkpatrick

Studio

1An open Bible for the world! May this our watchword be,
Wherever men in darkness dwell, all nations shall be free.
Let voices rise from earth's remotest bounds to greet that day,
God's Book shall be the light of all, the truth that lights the way.

RefrainAn open Bible for the world! An open Bible for the world!
Proclaim sweet mercy from above, and forth the light unfurled;
Proclaim sweet mercy from above, and forth the light unfurled;
And point with hope to eternal years.

2An open Bible for the world! What though the mountains high,
The valleys deep, the desert sand, the raging seas defy.
God's Word shall conquer every foe, shall break down every wall,
And make the desert places bloom with Gospel truth for all.

Copyright 1900 by Wm. J. Kirkpatrick. Used by permission.

The verse

Meter
15.14.14.14
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 73% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

An open Bible for the world! May this our watchword be,˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘15A
Wherever men in darkness dwell, all nations shall be free.˘/˘/˘/˘///˘˘˘/14A
Let voices rise from earth's remotest bounds to greet that day,//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14B
God's Book shall be the light of all, the truth that lights the way.//˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14B

Verse 2

An open Bible for the world! What though the mountains high,˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/14A
The valleys deep, the desert sand, the raging seas defy.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14A
God's Word shall conquer every foe, shall break down every wall,//˘/˘/˘˘/˘///˘˘/16B
And make the desert places bloom with Gospel truth for all.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14B

Refrain

An open Bible for the world! An open Bible for the world!˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/16A
Proclaim sweet mercy from above, and forth the light unfurled;˘///˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/14A
Proclaim sweet mercy from above, and forth the light unfurled;˘///˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/14A
And point with hope to eternal years.˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9B

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.