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Hymns and Tunes 1886 68

The spacious firmament on high

Music: Francis J. HaydnTune: CreationL.M.D.

1The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue, ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim;
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand.

2Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale;
And nightly, to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth;
Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole.

3What though, in solemn silence, all Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound Amid their radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing, as they shine, 'The hand that made us is divine.'

Meter
L.M.D.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
17.17.17.17 · the hymnal prints L.M.D.
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 52% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCD
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue, ethereal sky,˘/˘???˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/17A
And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim;˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/17B
Th' unwearied sun, from day to day Does his Creator's power display,???/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘/17C
And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand.˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/17D

Verse 2

Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘/16A
And nightly, to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth;˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/17B
Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn,//˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/16C
Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole.˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/16D

Verse 3

What though, in solemn silence, all Move round the dark terrestrial ball?˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/˘˘/17A
What though no real voice nor sound Amid their radiant orbs be found?˘/˘//˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/16B
In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice,˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/17C
Forever singing, as they shine, 'The hand that made us is divine.'˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/16D

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.