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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 472

A Song of Heaven and Homeland

Words: TraditionalMusic: TraditionalTune: SONG OF HEAVEN8.8.8.8.D

Studio

1Sometimes I hear strange music, like none e'er heard before,
Come floating softly earthward as thro' heaven's open door:
It seems like angel voices, in strains of joy and love,
That swell the mighty chorus around the throne above.

RefrainO sweet, celestial music, heard from a land afar
The song of Heav'n and Homeland. Thro' doors God leaves ajar!

2Now soft, and low, and restful, it floods my soul with peace,
As if God's benediction bade all earth's troubles cease.
Then grander than the voices, of wind, and wave, and sea
It fills the dome of heaven with glorious harmony.

3This music haunts me ever, like something heard in dreams
It seems to catch the cadence of heaven'ly winds and streams.
My heart is filled with rapture, to think, some day to come,
I'll sing it with the angels, the song of heaven and home.

Meter
8.8.8.8.D
Scripture
Revelation 14:2-3; Revelation 5:9-10; Luke 15:10

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
13.14.13.13 · the hymnal prints 8.8.8.8.D
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 41% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABC
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Sometimes I hear strange music, like none e'er heard before,˘/˘///˘////˘/13A
Come floating softly earthward as thro' heaven's open door://˘/˘??˘//˘/˘/14A
It seems like angel voices, in strains of joy and love,˘///˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B
That swell the mighty chorus around the throne above.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B

Verse 2

Now soft, and low, and restful, it floods my soul with peace,//˘/˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13A
As if God's benediction bade all earth's troubles cease.˘˘//˘/˘////˘/13A
Then grander than the voices, of wind, and wave, and sea//˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/13B
It fills the dome of heaven with glorious harmony.˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘14C

Verse 3

This music haunts me ever, like something heard in dreams˘/˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/13A
It seems to catch the cadence of heaven'ly winds and streams.˘/˘/˘/˘˘???/˘/14A
My heart is filled with rapture, to think, some day to come,˘/˘/˘/˘˘///˘/13B
I'll sing it with the angels, the song of heaven and home.//˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘/14C

Refrain

O sweet, celestial music, heard from a land afar˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘/˘/13A
The song of Heav'n and Homeland. Thro' doors God leaves ajar!˘/˘/˘//////˘/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.