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Advent Hymnals

Church Hymnal 73

Holy, Holy, Holy

Words: Reginald HeberMusic: John Bacchus DykesTune: Nicaea11.12.12.10

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1Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

2Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

3Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

4Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Tune
Nicaea
Also sung to
Nicea (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #99)
Meter
11.12.12.10
Scripture
Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 6:3

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
11.12.12.9 · the hymnal prints 11.12.12.10
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 55% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAC
Scan every line

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

Verse 1

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘11A
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/12B
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘12A
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!/˘//˘//˘˘9C

Verse 2

Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore Thee,/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//12A
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/13A
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,???˘/˘//˘/˘//13A
Which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.˘/˘/˘/˘//˘10A

Verse 3

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//12A
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;/˘/˘/˘///˘˘˘/13A
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,/˘///˘/˘/˘//12A
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘10B*

Verse 4

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘11A
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;///˘///˘/˘/˘/13B
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘12A
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!/˘//˘//˘˘9C

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.