Skip to content

A copy of Advent Hymnals. Open this page on adventhymnals.org →

Hymns for Second Advent Believers 41

Watchman, Tell Us of the Night

1WATCHMAN! Tell us of night,
What its signs of promise are.
Traveler! O'er yon mountain's height
See that glory-beaming star!
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
Aught of hope or joy foretell?
Traveler! Yes; it brings the day,
Promised day of Israel.

2Watchman! Tell us of the night;
Higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler! Blessedness and light,
Peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
Gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler! Ages are its own;
See! It bursts o'er all the earth!

3Watchman! Tell us of the night,
For the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler! Darkness takes its flight,
Doubt and terror are withdrawn!
Watchman! Let thy wandering cease,
Hie thee to thy quiet home.
Traveler! Lo, the Prince of Peace,
Lo, the Son of God has come!

Also sung to: Aberystwyth (SDA Hymnal #592)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 6.7.8.7.7.7.8.7
Foot: trochaic (DUM-da) · 55% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABABCDCE

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

WATCHMAN! Tell us of night,/˘/˘˘/6A

What its signs of promise are.˘˘/˘/˘˘7B

Traveler! O'er yon mountain's height/˘˘///˘/8A

See that glory-beaming star!/˘????/7B

Watchman, does its beauteous ray/˘˘˘??/7C

Aught of hope or joy foretell?/˘/˘/˘/7D

Traveler! Yes; it brings the day,/˘˘/˘/˘/8C

Promised day of Israel./˘/˘/˘˘7E

Verse 2

Watchman! Tell us of the night;/˘/˘˘˘/7A

Higher yet that star ascends./˘/˘/˘/7B

Traveler! Blessedness and light,/˘˘/˘˘˘/8A

Peace and truth its course portends./˘/˘/˘/7B

Watchman, will its beams alone/˘˘˘/˘/7C

Gild the spot that gave them birth?/˘/˘/˘/7D

Traveler! Ages are its own;/˘˘/˘˘˘/8C

See! It bursts o'er all the earth!/˘///˘/7D

Verse 3

Watchman! Tell us of the night,/˘/˘˘˘/7A

For the morning seems to dawn.˘˘/˘/˘/7B

Traveler! Darkness takes its flight,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A

Doubt and terror are withdrawn!/˘/˘˘˘/7B

Watchman! Let thy wandering cease,/˘///˘˘/8C

Hie thee to thy quiet home.?/˘//˘/7D

Traveler! Lo, the Prince of Peace,/˘˘/˘/˘/8C

Lo, the Son of God has come!/˘/˘/˘/7E

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.