Hymns and Tunes 1886 57
God is our refuge and defence
Music: Isaac WattsTune: 901, 856, 704901, 856, 704
1God is our refuge and defence,
In trouble our unfailing aid;
Secure in his omnipotence,
What foe can make our souls afraid?
2Yea, though the earth's foundations rock,
And mountains down the gulf be hurled,
His people smile and the shock,
They look beyond this transient world.
3Built by the word of his command,
Ten thousand worlds on nothing rest;
And living things are in his hand,
And he who trusts his word is blest.
- Music
- Isaac Watts
- Tune
- 901, 856, 704
- Meter
- 901, 856, 704
Public Domain
The verse
- Meter
- 9.9.8.9 · the hymnal prints 901, 856, 704
- Foot
- iambic (da-DUM) · 53% of beats fit
- Rhyme
- ABAB
Scan every line
/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary
Verse 1
God is our refuge and defence,/˘/˘/˘˘˘/9A
In trouble our unfailing aid;˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9B
Secure in his omnipotence,˘/˘˘˘/˘˘8C
What foe can make our souls afraid?˘/˘//˘/˘/9B
Verse 2
Yea, though the earth's foundations rock,//˘/˘/˘/8A
And mountains down the gulf be hurled,˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
His people smile and the shock,˘/˘/˘˘/7A
They look beyond this transient world.˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
Verse 3
Built by the word of his command,/˘˘/˘˘˘/8A
Ten thousand worlds on nothing rest;//˘/˘/˘/8B
And living things are in his hand,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
And he who trusts his word is blest.˘˘˘/˘/˘/8B
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.