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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 399

It Is Well with My Soul

Words: Horatio SpaffordTune: Ville du Havre11.8.11.9. with Refrain

Studio

1When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

2Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

3My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

4And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
Even so—it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Scripture
Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:28

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
11.8.11.9.6.9 · the hymnal prints 11.8.11.9. with Refrain
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCBBB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,///˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
When sorrows like sea billows roll;//˘///˘/8B
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,//˘˘////˘˘/11A
It is well, it is well with my soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B
It is well with my soul,˘˘/˘˘/6B
It is well, it is well with my soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B

Verse 2

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,//˘˘/˘//˘˘/11A
Let this blest assurance control,/˘/˘/˘˘/8B
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11C
And hath shed his own blood for my soul.˘//˘//˘˘/9B
It is well with my soul,˘˘/˘˘/6B
It is well, it is well with my soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B

Verse 3

My sin—O the bliss of this glorious thought!˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
My sin, not in part but the whole,˘/˘˘/˘˘/8B
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11C
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!/˘//˘/˘˘/9B
It is well with my soul,˘˘/˘˘/6B
It is well, it is well with my soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B

Verse 4

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,˘//˘//˘/˘˘/11A
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,˘/˘//˘˘/8B
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/11C
Even so—it is well with my soul./˘˘˘˘/˘˘/9B
It is well with my soul,˘˘/˘˘/6B
It is well, it is well with my soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B

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.