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SDA Hymnal 304

Faith of Our Fathers

Words: [unclear]Music: [unclear]Tune: [unclear][unclear]

1Faith of our fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
When'er we hear that glorious word.

RefrainFaith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

2Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
How sweet would be their children's fate,
If they, like them, could die for thee!

3Faith of our fathers! we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how,
By kindly words and virtuous life.

Words: [unclear]
Music: [unclear]
Tune: [unclear]
Meter: [unclear]

The verse

Meter: 9.9.9.9
Foot: anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 37% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Faith of our fathers! living still/˘/˘/˘/˘/9A

In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9B

O how our hearts beat high with joy˘//˘///˘/9C

When'er we hear that glorious word.??˘/˘/˘˘/9D

Verse 2

Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,/˘/˘/˘/˘/9A

Were still in heart and conscience free;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

How sweet would be their children's fate,//˘˘˘/˘/8C

If they, like them, could die for thee!˘˘/˘˘/˘/8B

Verse 3

Faith of our fathers! we will love/˘/˘/˘˘˘/9A

Both friend and foe in all our strife,//˘/˘//˘/9B

And preach thee, too, as love knows how,˘///˘///8C

By kindly words and virtuous life.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9B

Refrain

Faith of our fathers! holy faith!/˘/˘/˘/˘/9A

We will be true to thee till death.˘˘˘/˘///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.