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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 469

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Words: Elisha A. HoffmanMusic: Anthony J. ShowalterTune: SHOWALTER12.9.12.9 with Refrain

Studio

1What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

RefrainLeaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

2O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

3What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Scripture
Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 91:1-2; Isaiah 40:11

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.9.10.9 · the hymnal prints 12.9.12.9 with Refrain
Foot
trochaic (DUM-da) · 48% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,˘˘/˘/˘˘/˘/10A
Leaning on the everlasting arms;/˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,˘˘/˘˘˘˘/˘/10A
Leaning on the everlasting arms./˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B

Verse 2

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,˘//˘/˘˘/˘/10A
Leaning on the everlasting arms;/˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B
O how bright the path grows from day to day,˘//˘//˘/˘/10A
Leaning on the everlasting arms./˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B

Verse 3

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,˘˘˘˘/˘˘˘˘/10A
Leaning on the everlasting arms?/˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,˘˘//˘˘/˘/9A
Leaning on the everlasting arms./˘˘˘/˘/˘/9B

Refrain

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/12A
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms./˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/˘/13A

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.