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Advent Hymnals

Hymns for Second Advent Believers 105

WHEN STRANGERS STAND

Studio

1WHEN strangers stand and hear me tell
What beauties in my Saviour dwell,
Where he is gone they fain would know,
That they may seek and love him too.

2O may my spirit daily rise
On wings of faith above the skies,
Till I shall make my last remove,
To dwell for ever with my love.

3In paradise within the gates,
In higher entertainment waits;
Fruits new and old laid up in store,
There we shall feed–but want no more.

4Come, my beloved, haste away,
Cut short the hours of thy delay;
Fly, like a youthful hart or roe,
Over the hills where spices grow.

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.9.8.8
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 62% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

WHEN strangers stand and hear me tell//˘/˘/˘/8A
What beauties in my Saviour dwell,˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/9A
Where he is gone they fain would know,/˘˘/˘/˘/8B
That they may seek and love him too.˘˘˘/˘/˘/8C

Verse 2

O may my spirit daily rise˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
On wings of faith above the skies,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Till I shall make my last remove,/˘˘/˘/˘/8B
To dwell for ever with my love.˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C

Verse 3

In paradise within the gates,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
In higher entertainment waits;˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Fruits new and old laid up in store,//˘//˘˘/8B
There we shall feed–but want no more./˘˘/˘/˘/8B

Verse 4

Come, my beloved, haste away,/˘˘//˘/7A
Cut short the hours of thy delay;//˘/˘˘/˘/9A
Fly, like a youthful hart or roe,//˘/˘/˘/8B
Over the hills where spices grow./˘˘///˘/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.