Hymns and Tunes 1886 168
O holy book of truth divine
Words: L. O. EmersonTune: SessionsL. M.
1O holy book of truth divine!
Eternal as thy Maker's name;
Through countless ages of decline
Thy glowing truths have stood the same.
2The dust of time is on thy page,
Yet time no power and hallowed thought;
In every clime, in every age,
Have saints thy holy comfort sought.
3Thou art the life, the joy, the peace,
The hope of trailing thousands here,
Whose faith shall never, never cease
Beyond this dreary mortal sphere.
4No other rule by which to live,
No other hope such peace can give
When days and years have ceased to roll.
5O wondrous lamp of promise sweet!
Thy light illumes the trusting soul
When every hope that earth can meet
When days and years have ceased to roll.
- Words
- L. O. Emerson
- Tune
- Sessions
- Meter
- L. M.
Public Domain
The verse
- Meter
- 8.8.8.8 · as printed
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 77% of beats fit
- Rhyme
- ABAB
Could also be sung to Old Hundredth, Duke Street, Germany, Deus Tuorum Militum, Federal Street · 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
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Verse 5
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.