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Hymns for Second Advent Believers 33

Heavenly Music

1WHAT heavenly music steals over the sea,
Entrancing the senses like sweet melody?
'Tis the voice of the angels borne soft on the air;
'Tis for me they are singing, their welcome I hear!

2On the banks of old Jordan here gazing I stand,
And earnestly longing I stretch forth my hand;
Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray–
Let me join that sweet music, come take me away.

3Though dark are the waters, and rough is the wave,
If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave;
For that heavenly music hath ravish'd me so,
I must join in the chorus, I'll go, let me go.

Also sung to: What Heavenly Music (SDA Hymnal #452)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 11.11.12.12
Foot: anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme: AABB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

WHAT heavenly music steals over the sea,˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/11A

Entrancing the senses like sweet melody?/˘˘˘/˘///˘˘11B

'Tis the voice of the angels borne soft on the air;/˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/12C

'Tis for me they are singing, their welcome I hear!/˘˘˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12D

Verse 2

On the banks of old Jordan here gazing I stand,˘˘/˘//˘//˘˘/12A

And earnestly longing I stretch forth my hand;˘/˘˘/˘˘//˘/11A

Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray–/˘//˘/˘//˘˘/12B

Let me join that sweet music, come take me away./˘/˘//˘//˘˘/12B

Verse 3

Though dark are the waters, and rough is the wave,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A

If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave;˘/˘˘/˘//˘//11A

For that heavenly music hath ravish'd me so,˘˘/˘˘/˘/??˘˘12B

I must join in the chorus, I'll go, let me go.˘//˘˘/˘///˘/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.