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Hymns and Tunes 1886 123

O could I speak the matchless worth

Words: Samuel MedleyMusic: Lowell MasonTune: ArielC.P.M.

1O could I speak the matchless worth,
O 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 precious blood he spilt,
My ransom from the dreadful guilt
Of sin and wrath divine!
I'd sing his glorious righteousness,
In which all-perfect heavenly dress
My soul shall ever shine.

3I'd sing the character 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.

4Well, 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.

Tune
Ariel
Meter
C.P.M.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.8.7.9.9.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 56% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCDDC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O could I speak the matchless worth,˘˘˘/˘??/8A
O could I sound the glories forth,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8B
Which in my Saviour shine!˘˘˘/˘˘/7C
I'd soar and touch the heavenly strings,//˘/˘/˘˘/9D
And vie with Gabriel while he sings˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9D
In notes almost divine.˘///˘/6C

Verse 2

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,//˘/˘/˘/8A
My ransom from the dreadful guilt˘/˘˘˘/˘/8A
Of sin and wrath divine!˘/˘/˘/6B
I'd sing his glorious righteousness,//˘/˘˘/˘˘9C
In which all-perfect heavenly dress˘˘???/˘˘/9D
My soul shall ever shine.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 3

I'd sing the character he bears,//˘/˘˘˘/8A
And all the forms of love he wears,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Exalted on his throne;˘/˘˘˘/6B
In loftiest songs of sweetest praise,˘/˘˘/˘/˘/9C
I would to everlasting days˘˘˘/˘/˘/8C
Make all his glories known.//˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

Well, the delightful day will come,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
When my dear Lord will take me home,/˘//˘/˘/8B
And I shall see his face;˘˘˘/˘/6C
Then, with my Saviour, Brother, Friend,/˘˘/˘˘/˘/9D
A blest eternity I'll spend,˘/˘/˘˘//8D
Triumphant in his grace.˘/˘˘˘/6C

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.