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Hymns for Second Advent Believers 95

STAR OF BETHLEHEM

Studio

1WHEN marshal'd on the nightly plain,
The glittering hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train,
Can fix the sinner's wandering eye:
Hark! Hark! To God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem,
But one alone, the Saviour speaks,
It is the Star of Bethlehem.

2Once on the raging seas I rode,
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawn'd, and rudely blow'd
The wind that toss'd my foundering bark.
Deep horror then my vitals froze,
Death struck–I ceased the tide to stem,
When suddenly a star arose,
It was the Star of Bethlehem.

3It was my guide, my light, my all,
It bade my dark foreboding cease;
And through the storm and danger's thrall,
It led me to the port of peace.
Now safely moor'd–my perils o'er,
I'll sing first in night's diadem,
For ever and for ever more,
The Star–the Star of Bethlehem.

Also sung to
Missionary Chant (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #365)

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.9.8.9.8.10.9.8
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 69% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABABCDED
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

WHEN marshal'd on the nightly plain,//˘˘˘/˘/8A
The glittering hosts bestud the sky,˘/˘˘/??˘/9B
One star alone of all the train,//˘/˘/˘/8A
Can fix the sinner's wandering eye:˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9B
Hark! Hark! To God the chorus breaks,//˘/˘/˘/8C
From every host, from every gem,˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/10D
But one alone, the Saviour speaks,˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9E
It is the Star of Bethlehem.˘˘˘/˘/˘/8D

Verse 2

Once on the raging seas I rode,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
The storm was loud, the night was dark,˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
The ocean yawn'd, and rudely blow'd˘/˘/˘/˘/8C
The wind that toss'd my foundering bark.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9B
Deep horror then my vitals froze,//˘/˘/˘/8D
Death struck–I ceased the tide to stem,//˘/˘/˘/8E
When suddenly a star arose,//˘˘˘/˘/8D
It was the Star of Bethlehem.˘˘˘/˘/˘/8E

Verse 3

It was my guide, my light, my all,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8A
It bade my dark foreboding cease;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
And through the storm and danger's thrall,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
It led me to the port of peace.˘/˘˘˘/˘/8B
Now safely moor'd–my perils o'er,//˘/˘/˘/8C
I'll sing first in night's diadem,///˘//˘/8D
For ever and for ever more,˘/˘˘˘/˘/8E
The Star–the Star of Bethlehem.˘/˘/˘/˘/8D

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.