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Advent Hymnals

Millennial Harp 7

I Would Not Live Alway

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1I would not live alway; I ask not to stay,
I would not live alway: No—welcome the tomb,

2Where storm af-ter storm ris-es o'er the dark way
Slee-p Je-sus has trod there, I dread not its gloom.

3The few lu-cid mornings that dawn on us here,
There, sweet be my rest, till he bid me a-rise,

4Are enough for life's woes, full enough for its cheer.
To hail him in triumph de-scend-ing the skies.

5Who, who would live alway, away from his God?
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains,
And the noon-tide of glory eternally reigns;

6Where saints of all ages in harmony meet,
Their Savior and brethren, transported to greet;
Where anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul.

The verse

Meter
11.11
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme
AB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

I would not live alway; I ask not to stay,˘˘˘/??˘/˘˘/11A
I would not live alway: No—welcome the tomb,˘˘˘/??˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 2

Where storm af-ter storm ris-es o'er the dark way///˘//˘/˘//11A
Slee-p Je-sus has trod there, I dread not its gloom.//˘˘//˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 3

The few lu-cid mornings that dawn on us here,˘//˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
There, sweet be my rest, till he bid me a-rise,//˘˘//˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 4

Are enough for life's woes, full enough for its cheer.˘˘/˘///˘/˘˘/12A
To hail him in triumph de-scend-ing the skies.˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B

Verse 5

Who, who would live alway, away from his God?˘˘˘/??˘/˘˘/11A
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/11B
Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains,//˘˘/˘//˘//11C
And the noon-tide of glory eternally reigns;˘˘??˘/˘˘/˘˘/12C

Verse 6

Where saints of all ages in harmony meet,//˘//˘˘/˘˘/11A
Their Savior and brethren, transported to greet;˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
Where anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11B
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul.˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/12B

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.