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Advent Hymnals

SDA Hymnal 629

O Happy Band of Pilgrims

Words: John Mason Neale

Studio

1O happy band of pilgrims,
If onward ye will tread
With Jesus as your fellow,
To Jesus as your Head!

2O happy if ye labor
As Jesus did for men;
O happy if ye hunger
As Jesus hungered then!

3The trials that beset you,
The sorrows ye endure,
The man-i-fold temptations
That death alone can cure;

4What are they but His jewels
Of right celestial worth?
What are they but the ladder
Set up to heaven on earth?

5O happy band of pilgrims,
Look upward to the skies,
Where such a light affliction
Shall win you such a prize!

Scripture
Hebrews 11:13; 2 Corinthians 4:17

The verse

Meter
7.6.7.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 71% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABCB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O happy band of pilgrims,˘/˘/˘/˘7A
If onward ye will tread˘/˘/˘/6B
With Jesus as your fellow,˘/˘˘˘/˘7C
To Jesus as your Head!˘/˘˘˘/6B

Verse 2

O happy if ye labor˘/˘˘//˘7A
As Jesus did for men;˘/˘˘˘/6B
O happy if ye hunger˘/˘˘//˘7C
As Jesus hungered then!˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 3

The trials that beset you,˘/˘˘˘/˘7A
The sorrows ye endure,˘/˘/˘/6B
The man-i-fold temptations˘/˘/˘/˘7C
That death alone can cure;˘/˘/˘/6B

Verse 4

What are they but His jewels˘˘˘˘˘/˘7A
Of right celestial worth?˘/˘/˘/6B
What are they but the ladder˘˘˘˘˘/˘7C
Set up to heaven on earth?/˘˘/˘˘/7B

Verse 5

O happy band of pilgrims,˘/˘/˘/˘7A
Look upward to the skies,//˘˘˘/6B
Where such a light affliction//˘/˘/˘7C
Shall win you such a prize!˘/˘/˘/6B

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.