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Advent Hymnals

Millennial Harp 114

Come Down, O Love Divine

Words: Bianco da SienaMusic: Ralph Vaughan WilliamsTune: DOWN AMPNEY6.6.11.6.6.11

Studio

1Come down, O Love divine, Seek Thou this soul of mine, And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing; O Comforter, draw near, Within my heart appear, And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

2O let it freely burn, Till earthly passions turn To dust and ashes in its heat consuming; And let Thy glorious light Shine ever on my sight, And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

3Let holy charity Mine outward vesture be, And lowliness become mine inner clothing; True lowliness of heart, Which takes the humbler part, And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

4And so the yearning strong, With which the soul will long, Shall far outpass the power of human telling; For none can guess its grace, Till he become the place Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.

Meter
6.6.11.6.6.11

The verse

Meter
6.6.11.6.6.11 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 66% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABCCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

Come down, O Love divine,//˘/˘/6A
Seek Thou this soul of mine,//˘/˘/6A
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘11B
O Comforter, draw near,˘/˘˘//6C
Within my heart appear,˘/˘/˘/6C
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.˘/˘˘//˘/˘/˘11B

Verse 2

O let it freely burn, Till earthly passions turn To dust and ashes in its heat consuming; And let Thy glorious light Shine ever on my sight, And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘˘///˘˘///˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/???47A

Verse 3

Let holy charity Mine outward vesture be, And lowliness become mine inner clothing; True lowliness of heart, Which takes the humbler part, And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.//˘/˘˘//˘??˘˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘//˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/˘47A

Verse 4

And so the yearning strong,˘˘˘/˘/6A
With which the soul will long,˘˘˘/˘/6A
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;˘/??˘/˘/˘/˘11B*
For none can guess its grace,˘/˘/˘/6C
Till he become the place/˘˘/˘/6C
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘11B

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.