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Advent Hymnals

Hymns and Tunes 1886 617

Breast the wave, Christian

Music: Ernest RadfordTune: London10s & 11s.

Studio

1Breast the wave, Christian, when it is strongest;
Watch for day, Christian, when night is longest;
Onward and upward still be thine endeavor;
The rest that remaineth endureth forever.

2Fight the fight, Christian, Jesus is o'er thee;
Run the race, Christian, heaven is before thee;
He who hath promised will falter, no, never;
O trust in the love that endureth forever.

3Lift the eye, Christian, just as it closeth;
Raise the heart, Christian, ere it reposeth;
Nothing thy soul from the Saviour can sever;
And soon shalt thou see him and praise him forever.

Tune
London

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.10.11.12 · the hymnal prints 10s & 11s.
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Breast the wave, Christian, when it is strongest;/˘//˘/˘˘/˘10A
Watch for day, Christian, when night is longest;/˘//˘//˘/˘10A
Onward and upward still be thine endeavor;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘11B
The rest that remaineth endureth forever.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘12B

Verse 2

Fight the fight, Christian, Jesus is o'er thee;/˘//˘/˘˘//10A
Run the race, Christian, heaven is before thee;/˘//˘/˘˘˘//11A
He who hath promised will falter, no, never;˘˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘11B
O trust in the love that endureth forever.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘12B

Verse 3

Lift the eye, Christian, just as it closeth;/˘//˘/˘˘/˘10A
Raise the heart, Christian, ere it reposeth;/˘//˘/˘//˘10A
Nothing thy soul from the Saviour can sever;/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘11B
And soon shalt thou see him and praise him forever.˘////˘˘/˘˘/˘12B

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.