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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1876 67

Truth is the sum of things we seek

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1Truth is the sum of things we seek, Oh! tell us where shall it be found; For this we search, and pray, and weep, That truth may in our hearts abound.

2We want the truth on every point, We want it all to practice by; Oh thou, O Lord, our eyes anoint With a fresh unction from on high.

3Were not the ten commandments given By the great source of light and truth, For this thy special word from heaven, From the dark wilderness of earth?

4Then, as we would our God obey, In letter and in spirit too, Let us in lore, the sacred lay, For it is plainly brought to view.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
33
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 34% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Truth is the sum of things we seek, Oh! tell us where shall it be found; For this we search, and pray, and weep, That truth may in our hearts abound./˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/33A

Verse 2

We want the truth on every point, We want it all to practice by; Oh thou, O Lord, our eyes anoint With a fresh unction from on high.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘/˘/˘˘/??˘˘/34A

Verse 3

Were not the ten commandments given By the great source of light and truth, For this thy special word from heaven, From the dark wilderness of earth?˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘˘//˘˘˘/34A

Verse 4

Then, as we would our God obey, In letter and in spirit too, Let us in lore, the sacred lay, For it is plainly brought to view./˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/33A

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.