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SDA Hymnal 76

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

Words: George MathesonMusic: Albert L. PeaceTune: St. Margaret8.8.8.6

Studio

1O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

2O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

3O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.

4O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Meter
8.8.8.6

The verse

Meter
8.8.8.8.6 · the hymnal prints 8.8.8.6
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 67% of beats fit
Rhyme
ABAAB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O Love that wilt not let me go,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A
I rest my weary soul in Thee;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
I give Thee back the life I owe,˘///˘/˘/8A
That in Thine ocean depths its flow˘˘//˘/˘/8A
May richer, fuller be.˘/˘/˘˘6B

Verse 2

O Light that followest all my way,˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9A
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9B
My heart restores its borrowed ray,˘/˘/˘///8A
That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day˘˘////˘/8A
May brighter, fairer be.˘/˘/˘˘6B

Verse 3

O Joy that seekest me through pain,˘/˘/˘˘//8A
I cannot close my heart to Thee;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
I trace the rainbow through the rain,˘/˘///˘/8A
And feel the promise is not vain˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
That morn shall tearless be.˘/˘??˘6B

Verse 4

O Cross that liftest up my head,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8A
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;˘/˘/˘/˘/8B
I lay in dust life's glory dead,˘/˘///˘/8A
And from the ground there blossoms red˘˘˘///˘/8A
Life that shall endless be./˘˘/˘˘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.