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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 441

I Saw One Weary

Words: Eliza E. HewittMusic: John R. SweneyTune: I SAW ONE WEARYIrregular

Studio

1I saw one weary, sad, and torn,
With eager steps press on the way,
Who long the hallowed cross had borne,
Still looking for the promised day;

RefrainI asked what buoyed his spirits up,
"O this!" said he, "the blessed hope."

2And one I saw, with sword and shield,
Who boldly braved the world's cold frown,
And fought, unyielding, on the field,
To win an everlasting crown.

3And there was one who left behind
The cherished friends of early years,
And honored, but pleasures none,
Or tribulation, hate, and scorn,

4While pilgrims here we journey on
In this dark vale of sin and gloom,
Through many a line of grief and care,
Up on his brow was furrowed there;

Scripture
Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 6:11-17; Titus 2:13

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 69% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

I saw one weary, sad, and torn,˘///˘/˘/8A
With eager steps press on the way,˘/˘//˘˘/8B
Who long the hallowed cross had borne,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Still looking for the promised day;//˘˘˘/˘/8B

Verse 2

And one I saw, with sword and shield,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
Who boldly braved the world's cold frown,˘/˘/˘///8B
And fought, unyielding, on the field,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
To win an everlasting crown.˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

Verse 3

And there was one who left behind˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
The cherished friends of early years,˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
And honored, but pleasures none,˘/˘˘/˘/7C
Or tribulation, hate, and scorn,˘/˘/˘/˘/8D

Verse 4

While pilgrims here we journey on//˘/˘/˘˘8A
In this dark vale of sin and gloom,˘˘//˘/˘/8B
Through many a line of grief and care,//˘˘/˘/˘/9C
Up on his brow was furrowed there;˘˘˘/˘/˘/8C

Refrain

I asked what buoyed his spirits up,˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘9A
"O this!" said he, "the blessed hope."˘˘/˘˘//7B

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.