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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 455

I'll Be a Sunbeam

Words: J. E. HallMusic: E. O. Excell

Studio

1If I live up-on the high-way, This is what I'll do, I'll aid the wear-y trav-'lers, Who for-get through;
But if I dwell in the cit-y, Where the splen-dor's bright, I'll be a sun-beam al-ways, Shin-ing day and night;
If we are like Je-sus—Son of Right-eous-ness—Who set the bright ex-am-ple, Love-ly live to bless.

RefrainBeau-ti-ful Sun-beam! God sent you here, I'll be a sun-beam, *Love-ly heart to cheer.

2I ought to live this, no long-er, Teach-ing by ex-am-ple, Tell each thir-sty heart That Christ is fair and sweet;
Till the sweet-est pleas-ure Of His love to tell, Shin-ing on His glad-ness, Where the sad ones dwell.

Scripture
Matthew 5:16; John 8:12

The verse

Meter
24.25.23
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 51% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

If I live up-on the high-way, This is what I'll do, I'll aid the wear-y trav-'lers, Who for-get through;˘˘/˘/˘//˘˘˘/˘//˘/˘??˘˘//24A
But if I dwell in the cit-y, Where the splen-dor's bright, I'll be a sun-beam al-ways, Shin-ing day and night;˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘//˘˘/////˘/˘/25B
If we are like Je-sus—Son of Right-eous-ness—Who set the bright ex-am-ple, Love-ly live to bless.˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/23C

Verse 2

I ought to live this, no long-er, Teach-ing by ex-am-ple, Tell each thir-sty heart That Christ is fair and sweet;˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘///˘/˘/˘/˘/25A
Till the sweet-est pleas-ure Of His love to tell, Shin-ing on His glad-ness, Where the sad ones dwell./˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘˘˘/˘/˘///22B

Refrain

Beau-ti-ful Sun-beam! God sent you here, I'll be a sun-beam, *Love-ly heart to cheer./˘˘////˘//˘˘///˘/˘/19A

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.