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SDA Hymnal 442

How Sweet Are the Tidings

Words: Eliza H. HamiltonMusic: TraditionalTune: HOW SWEET ARE THE TIDINGSIrregular

Studio

1How sweet are the tidings that greet the pilgrim's ear,
As he wanders in exile from home!
Soon, soon will the Savior in glory appear,
And soon will the kingdom come.

RefrainHe's coming, coming, coming soon I know,
Coming back to this earth again;
And the weary pilgrims will to glory go,
When the Savior comes to reign.

2The mossy old graves where the pilgrims sleep
Shall be opened as wide as before,
And the millions that sleep in the mighty deep
Shall live on this earth once more.

3There we'll meet ne'er to part in our happy Eden home,
Sweet songs of redemption we'll sing;
From the north, from the south, all the ransomed shall come,
And worship our heavenly King.

4Hallelujah, Amen! hallelujah again!
Soon, if faithful, we all shall be there;
O, be watchful, be hopeful, be joyful till then,
And a crown of bright glory we'll wear.

Scripture
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:6; Daniel 7:27

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
12.9.11.7
Foot
anapestic (da-da-DUM) · 38% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

How sweet are the tidings that greet the pilgrim's ear,//˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/12A
As he wanders in exile from home!˘˘/˘˘//˘/9B
Soon, soon will the Savior in glory appear,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A
And soon will the kingdom come.˘/˘˘/˘/7C

Verse 2

The mossy old graves where the pilgrims sleep˘/˘///˘/˘/10A
Shall be opened as wide as before,˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B
And the millions that sleep in the mighty deep˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘/11A
Shall live on this earth once more.˘/˘˘///7B

Verse 3

There we'll meet ne'er to part in our happy Eden home,////˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/14A
Sweet songs of redemption we'll sing;//˘˘/˘//8B
From the north, from the south, all the ransomed shall come,˘˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘/12C
And worship our heavenly King.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/9B

Verse 4

Hallelujah, Amen! hallelujah again!/˘/˘˘//˘/˘˘/12A
Soon, if faithful, we all shall be there;/˘/˘˘/˘˘/9B
O, be watchful, be hopeful, be joyful till then,˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘//12A
And a crown of bright glory we'll wear.˘˘/˘//˘//9B

Refrain

He's coming, coming, coming soon I know,//˘/˘/˘/˘/10A
Coming back to this earth again;/˘/˘˘/˘/8B
And the weary pilgrims will to glory go,˘˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/11A
When the Savior comes to reign./˘/˘/˘/7C

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.