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Advent Hymnals

Millennial Harp 72

Sweet is the work, my God, my King

L.M.

Studio

1Sweet is the work, my God, my King, To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing! To show thy love by morning light, And talk of all thy truth by night.

2Sweet is the day of sacred rest; No mortal cares shall seize my breast; O may my heart in tune be found, Like David's harp of solemn sound!

3When grace has purified my heart, Then I shall share a glorious part; And fresh supplies of joy are shed, Like holy oil, to cheer my head.

4Then shall I see, and hear, and know, All I desired or wished below; And every hour find sweet employ, In that eternal world of joy.

Also sung to
Alway (Hymns and Tunes 1886 #219)
Meter
L.M.

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 45% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Sweet is the work, my God, my King,/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing!˘/////˘/8A
To show thy love by morning light,˘///˘/˘/8B
And talk of all thy truth by night.˘/˘///˘/8B

Verse 2

Sweet is the day of sacred rest;/˘˘/˘/˘/8A
No mortal cares shall seize my breast;˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
O may my heart in tune be found,˘˘˘/˘/˘/8B
Like David's harp of solemn sound!//˘/˘/˘/8B

Verse 3

When grace has purified my heart, Then I shall share a glorious part; And fresh supplies of joy are shed, Like holy oil, to cheer my head.//˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/˘///˘/˘/˘/33A

Verse 4

Then shall I see, and hear, and know, All I desired or wished below; And every hour find sweet employ, In that eternal world of joy./˘˘/˘/˘//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘//˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/35A

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.