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Advent Hymnals

Hymns for Second Advent Believers 25

YOUR HARPS, YE MOURNING SAINTS

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1YOUR harps, ye mourning saints,
Down from the willows take;
Loud to the coming King of kings,
Bid every string awake!

2Awake, the day-star bright,
Hath risen, and 'tis dawn!
The herald of the King of light
Hath come, awake, 'tis morn!

3Swell loud the tuneful song,
He cometh! Angels sing!
He will not tarry very long,
Tune then each silent string.

4Bid every heart awake!
'Tis surely death to sleep,
Oh, from the willows take the harp,
And faithful vigil keep.

5Sing Jesus' dying love,
Sing that he rose again—
Sing now he comes to burst the tombs,
And with his saints to reign!

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
6.6.8.7
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 60% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

YOUR harps, ye mourning saints,˘///˘/6A
Down from the willows take;/˘˘///6B
Loud to the coming King of kings,/˘˘/˘/˘/8C
Bid every string awake!//˘˘/˘/7B

Verse 2

Awake, the day-star bright,˘/˘??/6A
Hath risen, and 'tis dawn!//˘˘//6B
The herald of the King of light˘/˘˘˘/˘/8A
Hath come, awake, 'tis morn!//˘///6C

Verse 3

Swell loud the tuneful song,//˘/˘/6A
He cometh! Angels sing!˘/˘/˘/6B
He will not tarry very long,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Tune then each silent string.////˘/6B

Verse 4

Bid every heart awake!//˘˘/˘/7A
'Tis surely death to sleep,//˘/˘/6B
Oh, from the willows take the harp,˘˘˘///˘/8C
And faithful vigil keep.˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 5

Sing Jesus' dying love,//˘/˘/6A
Sing that he rose again—/˘˘/˘/6B
Sing now he comes to burst the tombs,//˘/˘/˘/8C
And with his saints to reign!˘˘˘/˘/6D

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.