Hymns and Tunes 1886 365
The Sinner—Christ the Way of Life
Music: Heinrich C. ZeunerTune: Missionary ChantL. M.
1When, marshaled on the nightly plain,
The glittering host bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train
Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.
2Once on the raging seas I rode;
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawned, and rudely blowed
The wind that tossed my foundering bark.
3Deep horror then my vitals froze;
Death-struck, I ceased the tide to stem;
When suddenly a star arose,—
It was the Star of Bethlehem.
4It was my guide, my light, my all;
It bade my dark forebodings cease;
And through the storm and danger's thrall
It led me to the port of peace.
- Music
- Heinrich C. Zeuner
- Tune
- Missionary Chant
- Meter
- L. M.
- Scripture
- Matthew 2:1-10; John 8:12
Public Domain
The verse
- Meter
- 8.9.8.8 · the hymnal prints L. M.
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 76% 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
Verse 2
Verse 3
Verse 4
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.