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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 407

Softly and Tenderly

Words: Will ThompsonTune: Thompson11.7.11.7. with Refrain

Studio

1Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

2Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

3Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

4O for the wonderful love he has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Scripture
Matthew 11:28; Luke 15:20

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
11.7.11.7.4.7.11.7 · the hymnal prints 11.7.11.7. with Refrain
Foot
dactylic (DUM-da-da) · 69% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCBDDED
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11A
Calling for you and for me;/˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
See, on the portals he's waiting and watching,/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘11C
Watching for you and for me./˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Come home, come home,////4D
Ye who are weary, come home;/˘˘/˘//7D
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11A
Calling, O sinner, come home!/˘˘/˘//7D

Verse 2

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘11A
Pleading for you and for me?/˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘//11C
Mercies for you and for me?//˘˘˘˘˘7B
Come home, come home,////4D
Ye who are weary, come home;/˘˘/˘//7D
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11E
Calling, O sinner, come home!/˘˘/˘//7D

Verse 3

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘11A
Passing from you and from me;/˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,//˘/˘˘//˘/˘11C
Coming for you and for me./˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Come home, come home,////4D
Ye who are weary, come home;/˘˘/˘//7D
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11E
Calling, O sinner, come home!/˘˘/˘//7D

Verse 4

O for the wonderful love he has promised,˘˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11A
Promised for you and for me!/˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11C
Pardon for you and for me./˘˘˘˘˘˘7B
Come home, come home,////4D
Ye who are weary, come home;/˘˘/˘//7D
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11E
Calling, O sinner, come home!/˘˘/˘//7D

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.