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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1876 283

Oh! could I speak the matchless worth

Studio

1Oh! could I speak the matchless worth, Oh! could I sound the glories forth, Which in my Saviour shine! I'd soar and touch the heavenly strings, And vie with Gabriel while he sings In notes almost divine.

2I'd sing the characters he bears, And all the forms of love he wears, Exalted on his throne; In loftiest songs of sweetest praise, I would to everlasting days Make all his glories known.

3Well, the delightful day will come, When my dear Lord will take me home, And I shall see his face; Then, with my Saviour, brother, friend, A blest eternity I'll spend, Triumphant in his grace.

Also sung to
Ariel (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #123)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
47
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Oh! could I speak the matchless worth, Oh! could I sound the glories forth, Which in my Saviour shine! I'd soar and touch the heavenly strings, And vie with Gabriel while he sings In notes almost divine.˘˘˘/˘??/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘///˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘///˘/47A

Verse 2

I'd sing the characters he bears, And all the forms of love he wears, Exalted on his throne; In loftiest songs of sweetest praise, I would to everlasting days Make all his glories known.//˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/45A

Verse 3

Well, the delightful day will come, When my dear Lord will take me home, And I shall see his face; Then, with my Saviour, brother, friend, A blest eternity I'll spend, Triumphant in his grace./˘˘/˘/˘//˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘˘/45A

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.