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SDA Hymnal 50

Abide With Me

Words: Henry Francis LyteMusic: William Henry MonkTune: Eventide10.10.10.10

Studio

1Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!

2Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!

3I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like Thy-self my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!

4I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!

Meter
10.10.10.10
Scripture
Luke 24:29; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Hebrews 13:8

Public Domain

The verse

Meter
10.10.10.10 · as printed
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 61% of beats fit
Rhyme
AABB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary · * a word sung short, as “heav’n”

Verse 1

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;˘/˘˘//˘???10A
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/10B
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,//˘/˘/˘/˘/10C
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!/˘˘/˘˘˘/˘˘10C

Verse 2

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;/˘˘/////˘/10A
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;////˘/˘/˘/10A
Change and decay in all around I see;/˘˘/˘/˘/˘/10B
O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘˘10B

Verse 3

I need Thy presence every passing hour;˘///˘/˘/˘/10A
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?˘˘//˘/˘??/10A*
Who like Thy-self my guide and stay can be?˘///˘/˘/˘˘10B
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!//˘//˘˘/˘˘10B

Verse 4

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/10A
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness./˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘10B
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?/˘//////˘˘10C
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!˘/˘/˘/˘/˘˘10D

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.