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SDA Hymnal 80

O World of God

Words: Maltbie Davenport BabcockMusic: Franklin L. SheppardTune: Terra Patris10.10.10.10

1O world of God, so vast and strange,
Profound and wonderful and fair;
Beyond the utmost reach of thought,
But not beyond the reach of prayer.

2O world of man where life is lived,
So strangely mingling joy and pain;
So full of evil and of good,
So needful of the cross again.

3O world of time's far-stretching years!
There was a day when time stood still,
A central moment when there rose
A cross upon a lonely hill.

Words: Maltbie Davenport Babcock
Music: Franklin L. Sheppard
Tune: Terra Patris
Meter: 10.10.10.10

The verse

Meter: 8.8.8.9 · the hymnal prints 10.10.10.10
Foot: iambic (da-DUM) · 73% of beats fit
Rhyme: ABCB

Could also be sung to Hanover, Old 124th, Ellers · same meter and stresses; not printed with these words, so try it first.

Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

O world of God, so vast and strange,˘/˘/˘/˘/8A

Profound and wonderful and fair;˘/˘/˘˘˘/8B

Beyond the utmost reach of thought,˘/˘///˘/8C

But not beyond the reach of prayer.˘˘˘/˘/˘/˘9B

Verse 2

O world of man where life is lived,˘/˘///˘/8A

So strangely mingling joy and pain;˘/˘/˘˘/˘/9B

So full of evil and of good,˘/˘/˘˘˘/8C

So needful of the cross again.˘/˘˘˘/˘/8D

Verse 3

O world of time's far-stretching years!˘/˘/???/8A

There was a day when time stood still,/˘˘/////8B

A central moment when there rose˘/˘/˘///8C

A cross upon a lonely hill.˘/˘/˘/˘/8B

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.