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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 100

As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs

Music: Felix MendelssohnTune: Mendelssohn10s

Studio

1As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs,
That sinks exhausted in the summer's chase,
So longs my soul for thee, great King of kings,
So thirsts to reach thy sacred dwelling-place.

2Lord thy sure mercies ever in my sight,
My heart shall gladden through the tedious day;
And 'midst the dark and gloomy shades of night,
To thee, my God, I'll tune the grateful lay.

3Why faint, my soul? why doubt Jehovah's aid?
Thy God the God of mercy still shall prove;
Within his courts thy thanks shall yet be paid;
Unquestioned be his faithfulness and love.

Meter
10s
Scripture
Psalm 42:1

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.10.10.10 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 78% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAC

Could also be sung to Hanover, Old 124th, Ellers, Terra Patris · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/10A
That sinks exhausted in the summer's chase,˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/10B
So longs my soul for thee, great King of kings,˘/˘/˘///˘/10A
So thirsts to reach thy sacred dwelling-place.˘/˘///˘???10C

Verse 2

Lord thy sure mercies ever in my sight,//////˘˘˘/10A
My heart shall gladden through the tedious day;˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/11B
And 'midst the dark and gloomy shades of night,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/10A
To thee, my God, I'll tune the grateful lay.˘/˘///˘/˘/10B

Verse 3

Why faint, my soul? why doubt Jehovah's aid?//˘///˘/˘/10A
Thy God the God of mercy still shall prove;//˘/˘/˘/˘/10B
Within his courts thy thanks shall yet be paid;˘/˘///˘/˘/10A
Unquestioned be his faithfulness and love.˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/10C

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.