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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 594

Heir of the Kingdom

Tune: RODMAN

Studio

1Heir of the kingdom, O why dost thou slumber?
Why art thou sleeping so near thy blest home?
Wake thee, arouse thee, and gird on thine armor,
Speed, for the moments are hurrying on.

2Heir of the kingdom, say, why dost thou linger?
How canst thou tarry in sight of the prize?
Up, and adorn thee, the Savior is coming;
Haste to receive Him descending the skies.

3Earth's mighty nations, in strife and commotion,
Tremble with terror, and sink in dismay;
Listen, 'tis nought but the chariot's loud rumbling;
Heir of the kingdom, no longer delay.

4Stay not, O stay not for earth's vain allurements!
See how its glory is passing away;
Break the strong fetters the foe hath bound o'er thee;
Heir of the kingdom, turn, turn thee away.

5Keep the eye single, the head upward lifted;
Watch for the glory of earth's coming King;
Lo! o'er the mountaintops light is now breaking;
Heirs of the kingdom, rejoice ye and sing.

Tune
RODMAN

The verse

Meter
11.10.11.10
Foot
dactylic (DUM-da-da) · 68% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Heir of the kingdom, O why dost thou slumber?/˘˘/˘˘////˘11A
Why art thou sleeping so near thy blest home?////˘˘////10B
Wake thee, arouse thee, and gird on thine armor,//˘//˘/˘//˘11C
Speed, for the moments are hurrying on./˘˘/˘˘/˘˘˘10D

Verse 2

Heir of the kingdom, say, why dost thou linger?/˘˘/˘/////˘11A
How canst thou tarry in sight of the prize?////˘˘/˘˘/10B
Up, and adorn thee, the Savior is coming;˘˘˘//˘/˘˘/˘11C
Haste to receive Him descending the skies./˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/10B

Verse 3

Earth's mighty nations, in strife and commotion,//˘/˘˘/˘˘/˘11A
Tremble with terror, and sink in dismay;/˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/10B
Listen, 'tis nought but the chariot's loud rumbling;/˘/?˘˘/˘˘//˘˘13C
Heir of the kingdom, no longer delay./˘˘/˘˘/˘˘/10B

Verse 4

Stay not, O stay not for earth's vain allurements!/˘˘/˘˘//????12A
See how its glory is passing away;//˘/˘˘/˘˘/10B
Break the strong fetters the foe hath bound o'er thee;/˘//˘˘/////11C
Heir of the kingdom, turn, turn thee away./˘˘/˘///˘/10B

Verse 5

Keep the eye single, the head upward lifted;/˘//˘˘//˘/˘11A
Watch for the glory of earth's coming King;/˘˘/˘˘//˘/10B
Lo! o'er the mountaintops light is now breaking;//˘/˘//˘//˘11C
Heirs of the kingdom, rejoice ye and sing./˘˘/˘˘//˘/10B

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.