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SDA Hymnal 452

What Heavenly Music

Words: TraditionalMusic: TraditionalTune: WHAT HEAVENLY MUSIC8.7.8.7.D

1What heavenly music steals over the sea!
Entrancing the senses like sweet melody!
'Tis the voice of the angels borne soft on the air;
For me they are singing; their welcome I hear.

2On the banks of old Jordan, here gazing I stand,
And earnestly longing, I stretch forth my hand;
Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray!
Let me join that sweet music; come, take me away.

3Though dark are the waters and rough is the wave,
If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave;
For that heavenly music hath ravished me so,
I must join in that chorus! I'll go! let me go!

Words: Traditional
Music: Traditional
Tune: WHAT HEAVENLY MUSIC
Meter: 8.7.8.7.D
Scripture: Revelation 14:2-3; Luke 15:10; Joshua 3:14-17

Public Domain

The verse

Meter: 11.11.12.11 · the hymnal prints 8.7.8.7.D
Foot: trochaic (DUM-da) · 33% of beats fit
Rhyme: AABB

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

What heavenly music steals over the sea!˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/11A

Entrancing the senses like sweet melody!/˘˘˘/˘///˘˘11B

'Tis the voice of the angels borne soft on the air;/˘/˘˘/˘//˘˘/12C

For me they are singing; their welcome I hear.˘˘˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11D

Verse 2

On the banks of old Jordan, here gazing I stand,˘˘/˘//˘//˘˘/12A

And earnestly longing, I stretch forth my hand;˘/˘˘/˘˘//˘/11A

Send a convoy of angels, dear Jesus, I pray!/˘//˘/˘//˘˘/12B

Let me join that sweet music; come, take me away./˘/˘//˘//˘˘/12B

Verse 3

Though dark are the waters and rough is the wave,//˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/11A

If Jesus permit, the wild surges I'll brave;˘/˘˘/˘//˘//11A

For that heavenly music hath ravished me so,˘˘/˘˘/˘/???˘˘13B

I must join in that chorus! I'll go! let me go!˘//˘˘/˘///˘/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.