Hymns and Tunes 1876 215
If, through unruffled seas
1If, through unruffled seas, Calmly toward Heaven we sail, With grateful hearts, O God, to thee, We'll own the fostering gale.
2But should the surges rise, And rest delay to come, Blest be the sorrow, kind the storm, Which drives us nearer home.
3Soon shall our doubts and fears All yield to thy control; Thy tender mercies shall illume The midnight of the soul.
4Teach us in every state To make thy will our own; And when the joys of sense depart, To live by faith alone.
Public Domain
The verse
- Meter
- 29
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 51% of beats fit
- Rhyme
- A
Scan every line
/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary
Verse 1
If, through unruffled seas, Calmly toward Heaven we sail, With grateful hearts, O God, to thee, We'll own the fostering gale.˘/˘/˘//˘˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/˘˘/29A
Verse 2
But should the surges rise, And rest delay to come, Blest be the sorrow, kind the storm, Which drives us nearer home.˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/26A
Verse 3
Soon shall our doubts and fears All yield to thy control; Thy tender mercies shall illume The midnight of the soul./˘/˘/˘///˘/˘///˘//˘??˘//˘˘/27A
Verse 4
Teach us in every state To make thy will our own; And when the joys of sense depart, To live by faith alone./˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/28A
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.