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Advent Hymnals

Millennial Harp 7

Burst, Ye Emerald Gates

Studio

1Burst, ye emerald gates, and bring
To my raptured vision
All the ecstatic joys that spring
Round the bright Elysian!

RefrainO, how good it is to be blest,
And dwell where loving Jesus is!

2Lo! we lift our longing eyes;
Break, ye intervening skies!
Sons of righteousness, arise!
Ope the gates of paradise!

3Floods of everlasting light
Freely flash before him;
Myriads, with supreme delight,
Instantly adore him;
Angels' trumps resound his fame;
Lutes of lucid gold proclaim
All the music of his name,
Heaven echoing the theme.

4Four and twenty elders rise
From their princely station;
Shout his glorious victories,
Sing his great salvation;
Cast their crowns before his throne;
Cry, in reverential tone,
Glory be to God alone,
Holy, holy, holy One!

5Hark! the thrilling symphonies
Seem, methinks, to seize us;
Join we to the holy lays—
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!
Sweetest sound in seraphs' song;
Sweetest note on mortals' tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus! Jesus! flow along.

The verse

Meter
7.6.8.6
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 76% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Burst, ye emerald gates, and bring///˘/˘/7A
To my raptured vision˘˘/˘/˘6B
All the ecstatic joys that spring/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
Round the bright Elysian!/˘/???6C

Verse 2

Lo! we lift our longing eyes;/˘//˘/˘/8A
Break, ye intervening skies!///˘/˘/7A
Sons of righteousness, arise!/˘/˘˘˘/7A
Ope the gates of paradise!?˘/˘/˘/7B

Verse 3

Floods of everlasting light/˘/˘/˘/7A
Freely flash before him;/˘/˘/˘6B
Myriads, with supreme delight,/˘˘˘˘/˘/8A
Instantly adore him;/˘˘˘/˘6B
Angels' trumps resound his fame;/˘///˘/7C
Lutes of lucid gold proclaim/˘/˘/˘/7C
All the music of his name,/˘/˘˘˘/7C
Heaven echoing the theme./˘/˘˘˘/7D

Verse 4

Four and twenty elders rise/˘/˘/˘/7A
From their princely station;˘˘/˘/˘6B
Shout his glorious victories,/˘/˘˘/˘˘8C
Sing his great salvation;/˘/˘/˘6B
Cast their crowns before his throne;/˘/˘/˘/7D
Cry, in reverential tone,/˘/˘/˘/7D
Glory be to God alone,/˘˘˘/˘/7D
Holy, holy, holy One!/˘/˘/˘/7E

Verse 5

Hark! the thrilling symphonies/˘/˘/˘˘7A
Seem, methinks, to seize us;/??˘/˘6B
Join we to the holy lays—/˘˘˘/˘/7C
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!/˘/˘/˘6D
Sweetest sound in seraphs' song;/˘/˘??/7E
Sweetest note on mortals' tongue;/˘/˘/˘/7F
Sweetest carol ever sung:/˘/˘/˘/7F
Jesus! Jesus! flow along./˘/˘/˘/7E

Refrain

O, how good it is to be blest,˘//˘˘˘˘/8A
And dwell where loving Jesus is!˘///˘/˘˘8B

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.