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Church Hymnal 50

Abide With Me

Words: Henry Francis LyteMusic: William Henry MonkTune: Eventide10.10.10.10

1Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

3I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

4Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Meter
10.10.10.10
Scripture
Luke 24:29; Hebrews 13:5

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.10.10.10 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 59% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;˘/˘˘//˘???10A
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/10B
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,//˘/˘/˘/˘/10C
Help of the helpless, O abide with me./˘˘/˘˘˘/˘˘10C

Verse 2

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;/˘˘/////˘/10A
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;////˘/˘/˘/10A
Change and decay in all around I see;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/10B
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘10B

Verse 3

I need Thy presence every passing hour;˘///˘/˘/˘/10A
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?˘˘//˘/˘??/10A*
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?˘///˘/˘/˘˘10B
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.//˘//˘˘/˘˘10B

Verse 4

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;////˘/˘/˘/10A
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;//˘/˘/˘˘˘/10A
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;/˘/˘/˘/////11B
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘10B

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.