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SDA Hymnal 592

Watchman, Tell Us of the Night

Tune: ABERYSTWYTH

1Watchman, tell us of the night what its signs of promise are.
Traveler, o'er yon mountain's height, see that glory beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray aught of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes; it brings the day, promised day of Israel.

2watchman, tell us of the night, higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light, peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own; See it bursts o'er all the earth.

3Watchman, tell us of the night, for the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, darkness takes its flight, doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, let your wanderings cease; hasten to your quiet home.
Traveler, lo, the Prince of Peace, lo, the Son of God is come!

Tune: ABERYSTWYTH

The verse

Meter: 14.15.14.15
Foot: trochaic (DUM-da) · 39% of beats fit
Rhyme: AABC

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Watchman, tell us of the night what its signs of promise are./˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘˘14A

Traveler, o'er yon mountain's height, see that glory beaming star./˘˘///˘//˘/˘/˘/15A

Watchman, does its beauteous ray aught of joy or hope foretell?/˘˘˘??//˘/˘/˘/14B

Traveler, yes; it brings the day, promised day of Israel./˘˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/˘˘15C

Verse 2

watchman, tell us of the night, higher yet that star ascends./˘/˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘/14A

Traveler, blessedness and light, peace and truth its course portends./˘˘/˘˘˘//˘/˘/˘/15A

Watchman, will its beams alone gild the spot that gave them birth?/˘˘˘/˘//˘/˘/˘/14B

Traveler, ages are its own; See it bursts o'er all the earth./˘˘/˘˘˘//˘///˘/15B

Verse 3

Watchman, tell us of the night, for the morning seems to dawn./˘/˘˘˘/˘˘/˘/˘/14A

Traveler, darkness takes its flight, doubt and terror are withdrawn./˘˘/˘/˘//˘/˘˘˘/15A

Watchman, let your wanderings cease; hasten to your quiet home./˘/˘/˘˘//˘˘˘/˘/15B

Traveler, lo, the Prince of Peace, lo, the Son of God is come!/˘˘/˘/˘//˘/˘/˘/15C

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.