Church Hymnal 59
Through All the Long Dark Night
Words: [unclear]Music: [unclear]Tune: [unclear]C.M.
1Through all the long dark night of years
The people walked in flame;
Unheeding voices, prophecies,
And warnings as they came.
2But to an open ear and heart
The word of truth came down:
A light to lighten Gentile lands,
And lift the lowly crown.
3No earthly splendors herald
The coming of the King;
No sound of trumpet-call announced
The Lord of everything.
4A child upon his mother's breast,
A tender flower of love;
Yet He the everlasting arms
That bear the worlds above.
- Words
- [unclear]
- Music
- [unclear]
- Tune
- [unclear]
- Meter
- C.M.
- Scripture
- Isaiah 9:2; Luke 2:30-32
Public Domain
The verse
- Meter
- 8.6.8.6 · as printed
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 82% of beats fit
- Rhyme
- ABCB
Could also be sung to Azmon, Coronation, Ortonville, Cantate Domino, Christmas · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.
Scan every line
/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”
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Verse 4
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.