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Hymns and Tunes 1876 301

Twas a doleful night on Calvary's height

1Twas a doleful night on Calvary's height, When the Lamb of God was slain; But there's a morning coming bright, When the just shall rise again. For the day O Jesus, my Saviour! dear Saviour, come!

RefrainOur hearts weary grow of thy longer delay— Oh! hasten to gather us home.

2I go, he said, to prepare a place, Blest mansions in glory's domain; And the promise sure, sweetly fell from his lips, For you I'll return again.

3How long, O Lord, shall thy saints sad weep, For the rightful heir to reign? And the royal saints in silence sleep, Who wait thy return again?

4I see the signs fulfilled of his advent near! Soon he comes in his kingdom to reign! Not long will the wheels of his chariot stay, That brings him once again.

5The royal blue robe bedecked with its border of woe, Shall rejoice o'er the flowery plain, And a diadem crown deck the sovereign brow, When the King in his beauty shall reign!

6No tears nor death shall await them more, Who the better land obtain; Oh! we long to hail, with rapturous joy, Thy glorious return again.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
47
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 35% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Twas a doleful night on Calvary's height, When the Lamb of God was slain; But there's a morning coming bright, When the just shall rise again. For the day O Jesus, my Saviour! dear Saviour, come!/˘/˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘//˘˘/47A

Verse 2

I go, he said, to prepare a place, Blest mansions in glory's domain; And the promise sure, sweetly fell from his lips, For you I'll return again.˘/˘/˘˘/˘///˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/35A

Verse 3

How long, O Lord, shall thy saints sad weep, For the rightful heir to reign? And the royal saints in silence sleep, Who wait thy return again?//˘/˘////˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/32A

Verse 4

I see the signs fulfilled of his advent near! Soon he comes in his kingdom to reign! Not long will the wheels of his chariot stay, That brings him once again.˘/˘/˘/˘˘////˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/37A

Verse 5

The royal blue robe bedecked with its border of woe, Shall rejoice o'er the flowery plain, And a diadem crown deck the sovereign brow, When the King in his beauty shall reign!˘/˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘///˘/˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/42A

Verse 6

No tears nor death shall await them more, Who the better land obtain; Oh! we long to hail, with rapturous joy, Thy glorious return again.˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘///˘˘˘/˘/34A

Refrain

Our hearts weary grow of thy longer delay— Oh! hasten to gather us home./˘//˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/20A

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.