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Millennial Harp 32

The Happy Man

11. How happy is the man, Who has chosen wisdom's ways,
And measured out his span To his God in prayer and praise. His
God and his Bible Are all that he desires; To
be at ease of heart and life he constantly aspires; In
poverty he's happy, For he knows he has a friend Who
never will forsake him, And on whom he can depend.

22. He rises in the morning,
With the lark he tunes his lays,
And offers up a tribute
To his God in prayer and praise;
And then unto his labor
He cheerfully repairs,
In confidence believing
His God will hear his prayers.
Whatever he engages in,
At home or far abroad,
His object is to honor
And to glorify his God.

33. In sickness, pain and sorrow
He never will repine,
While he is drawing nourishment
From Christ the living vine.
When trouble presses heavily,
He leans on Jesus' breast,
And in his precious promises
He finds a quiet rest.
The yoke of Christ is easy,
The burden always light;
They never make him weary
While Canaan is in sight.

44. 'Tis thus you have his history
Through life from day to day;
Religion is no mystery,
It is a beaten way;
And when upon his pillow
He lays him down to die,
His soul in hope rejoices,
For he knows his God is nigh.
And when life's lamp is flickering,
His soul on wings of love
Flies away to realms of glory,
To dwell with Christ above.

55. Then he'll be forever happy,
For he's joined the holy band,
He's received the crown of glory
And a palm is in his hand;
With saints and priests and prophets,
He'll strike the golden lyre,
And shout loud hallelujahs
With all the heavenly choir.
He's happy now eternally,
His joys are all complete,
With his angels he is bowing
Around the Savior's feet.

The verse

Meter
13.14.13.15.14.13
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 41% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCDCE
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

1. How happy is the man, Who has chosen wisdom's ways,//˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13A
And measured out his span To his God in prayer and praise. His˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘14B
God and his Bible Are all that he desires; To/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘˘13C
be at ease of heart and life he constantly aspires; In˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘15D
poverty he's happy, For he knows he has a friend Who/˘˘//˘˘˘/˘˘˘/˘14C
never will forsake him, And on whom he can depend./˘˘˘/˘˘˘˘˘˘˘/13E

Verse 2

2. He rises in the morning,˘/˘˘˘/˘7A
With the lark he tunes his lays,˘˘/˘/˘/7B
And offers up a tribute˘/˘˘˘/˘7C
To his God in prayer and praise;˘˘/˘/˘/7B
And then unto his labor˘//˘˘/˘7D
He cheerfully repairs,˘/˘˘˘/6E
In confidence believing˘/˘˘˘/˘7F
His God will hear his prayers.˘/˘/˘/6E
Whatever he engages in,//˘˘˘/˘˘8G
At home or far abroad,˘/˘/˘/6H
His object is to honor˘/˘˘˘/˘7I
And to glorify his God.˘˘/˘/˘/7J

Verse 3

3. In sickness, pain and sorrow˘/˘/˘/˘7A
He never will repine,˘/˘˘??6B
While he is drawing nourishment/˘˘/˘/˘˘8C
From Christ the living vine.˘/˘/˘/6D
When trouble presses heavily,//˘/˘/˘˘8E
He leans on Jesus' breast,˘/˘/˘/6F
And in his precious promises˘˘˘/˘/˘˘8G
He finds a quiet rest.˘/˘/˘/6F
The yoke of Christ is easy,˘/˘/˘/˘7H
The burden always light;˘/˘///6I
They never make him weary˘/˘/˘/˘7J
While Canaan is in sight.//˘˘˘/6I

Verse 4

4. 'Tis thus you have his history//˘˘˘/˘˘8A
Through life from day to day;//˘/˘/6B
Religion is no mystery,˘/˘˘˘/˘˘8A
It is a beaten way;˘˘˘/˘/6B
And when upon his pillow˘/˘/˘/˘7C
He lays him down to die,˘/˘/˘/6D
His soul in hope rejoices,˘/˘/˘/6E
For he knows his God is nigh.˘˘/˘/˘/7D
And when life's lamp is flickering,˘///˘/˘˘8F
His soul on wings of love˘/˘/˘/6G
Flies away to realms of glory,/˘/˘/˘/˘8H
To dwell with Christ above.˘/˘/˘/6G

Verse 5

5. Then he'll be forever happy,//˘˘/˘/˘8A
For he's joined the holy band,˘//˘/˘/7B
He's received the crown of glory/˘/˘/˘/˘8C
And a palm is in his hand;˘˘/˘˘˘/7B
With saints and priests and prophets,˘/˘/˘/˘7D
He'll strike the golden lyre,//˘/˘/6E
And shout loud hallelujahs˘///˘/˘7F
With all the heavenly choir.˘/˘/˘˘/˘8G
He's happy now eternally,//˘/˘/˘˘8H
His joys are all complete,˘/˘/˘/6I
With his angels he is bowing˘˘/˘˘˘/˘8J
Around the Savior's feet.˘/˘/˘/6I

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.