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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 452

My God, my God, to thee I cry

Words: Charles WesleyMusic: Louis SpohrTune: JERUSALEMC.M.D.

Studio

1My God, my God, to thee I cry; Thee only would I know: Thy purifying blood apply, And wash me white as snow. Touch me, and make the leper clean; Purge mine iniquity: Unless thou wash my soul from sin, I have no part in thee.

2But art thou not already mine? Answer, if mine thou art; Whisper within, thou Love divine, And cheer my drooping heart. Behold for me the Victim bleeds, His wounds are open wide; For me the blood of sprinkling pleads, And speaks me justified.

Meter
C.M.D.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.6.8.6.8.6.8.6 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 70% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABABCDEF

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

My God, my God, to thee I cry;˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Thee only would I know://˘˘˘/6B
Thy purifying blood apply,//˘/˘/˘/8A
And wash me white as snow.˘/˘/˘/6B
Touch me, and make the leper clean;/˘˘/˘/˘/8C
Purge mine iniquity:////˘˘6D
Unless thou wash my soul from sin,˘///˘/˘/8E
I have no part in thee.˘˘˘/˘/6F

Verse 2

But art thou not already mine? Answer, if mine thou art; Whisper within, thou Love divine, And cheer my drooping heart. Behold for me the Victim bleeds, His wounds are open wide; For me the blood of sprinkling pleads, And speaks me justified.˘//˘˘/˘//˘˘////˘˘///˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/56A

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.