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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 468

What Shall the Harvest Be?

Words: Emily S. OakeyMusic: F. E. Belden

Studio

1Sowing the seed by the daylight fair, Sowing the seed by the noontide glare, Sowing the seed by the fading light, Sowing the seed in the solemn night; Oh, what shall the harvest be?

RefrainSown in the darkness or sown in the light, Sown in our weakness or sown in our might; Gathered in time or eternity, Sure, ah! sure will the harvest be.

2Sowing the seed by the falling light, Sowing the seed in the solemn night, Sowing the seed of a tarnished name, Sowing the seed of eternal shame; Oh, what shall the harvest be?

3Sowing the seed with an aching heart, Sowing the seed while the tear-drops start, Sowing in hope till the reapers come, Gladly to gather the harvest home; Oh, what shall the harvest be?

Scripture
Gal. 6:7

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
43
Foot
dactylic (DUM-da-da) · 56% of beats fit
Rhyme
A
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Sowing the seed by the daylight fair, Sowing the seed by the noontide glare, Sowing the seed by the fading light, Sowing the seed in the solemn night; Oh, what shall the harvest be?/˘˘/˘˘////˘˘/˘˘??//˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘˘43A

Verse 2

Sowing the seed by the falling light, Sowing the seed in the solemn night, Sowing the seed of a tarnished name, Sowing the seed of eternal shame; Oh, what shall the harvest be?/˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘˘43A

Verse 3

Sowing the seed with an aching heart, Sowing the seed while the tear-drops start, Sowing in hope till the reapers come, Gladly to gather the harvest home; Oh, what shall the harvest be?/˘˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘//˘??//˘˘//˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘˘/˘˘43A

Refrain

Sown in the darkness or sown in the light, Sown in our weakness or sown in our might; Gathered in time or eternity, Sure, ah! sure will the harvest be./˘˘/˘˘/˘˘//˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘///˘˘/˘˘39A

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.