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Hymns and Tunes 1886 147

Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed

Words: Harriet AuberMusic: Samuel WebbeTune: BelmontC. M.

1Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed
His tender, last farewell,
A guide, a Comforter, bequeathed,
With us on earth to dwell.

2He came in tongues of living flame,
To teach, convince, subdue;
All-powerful as the wind he came,
And all as spotless, too.

3He comes sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing guest,
While he can find one humble heart
Wherein to fix his rest.

4And his that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breath of even,
That checks each fault, calms every fear,
And speaks of heaven.

5And every virtue we possess,
And every conquest won,
And every thought of holiness
Is his, and his alone.

Meter
C. M.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 71% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB

Could also be sung to Azmon, Coronation, Ortonville, Cantate Domino, Christmas · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
His tender, last farewell,˘/˘///6B
A guide, a Comforter, bequeathed,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C
With us on earth to dwell.˘˘˘/˘/6B

Verse 2

He came in tongues of living flame,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
To teach, convince, subdue;˘/˘/˘/6B
All-powerful as the wind he came,????˘˘/˘/9A
And all as spotless, too.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 3

He comes sweet influence to impart,˘///˘˘˘//9A
A gracious, willing guest,˘/˘/˘/6B
While he can find one humble heart/˘˘///˘/8A
Wherein to fix his rest.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

And his that gentle voice we hear,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Soft as the breath of even,/˘˘/˘/6B*
That checks each fault, calms every fear,˘/////˘/8A
And speaks of heaven.˘/˘/˘5C

Verse 5

And every virtue we possess,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
And every conquest won,˘/˘/˘/6B
And every thought of holiness˘/˘/˘/˘˘8C
Is his, and his alone.˘˘˘˘˘/6D

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.