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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 451

I heard a voice, the sweetest voice

Words: Peter StrykerMusic: Louis SpohrTune: JERUSALEMC.M.D.

Studio

1I heard a voice, the sweetest voice
That mortal ever heard;
O, how it made my heart rejoice,
And every feeling stirred!
'Twas Jesus spoke to me so mild,
He called me by name side,
And said, although with heart defiled,
I might in him confide.

2I saw his face, the fairest face
That mortal ever saw;
I longed the Saviour to embrace,
From him new life to draw.

Meter
C.M.D.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6.8.6.9.6 · the hymnal prints C.M.D.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 74% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABABCDED

Could also be sung to Carol, Ellacombe, Kingsfold, Mount Bethel, Varina · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

I heard a voice, the sweetest voice˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
That mortal ever heard;˘/˘/˘/6B
O, how it made my heart rejoice,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
And every feeling stirred!˘/˘/˘/6B
'Twas Jesus spoke to me so mild,//˘/˘˘˘/8C
He called me by name side,˘/˘˘//6D
And said, although with heart defiled,˘///˘/???9E
I might in him confide.˘˘˘˘˘/6D

Verse 2

I saw his face, the fairest face˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
That mortal ever saw;˘/˘/˘/6B
I longed the Saviour to embrace,˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/9A
From him new life to draw.˘˘//˘/6B

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.