A Poor Brother's Hymnal

Monday, June 04, 2007

All Creatures of Our God and King

“Let Heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them.” Psalm 69:34

Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

Words: Francis of Assisi, circa 1225 (Cantico di fratre sole, Song of Brother Sun). He wrote this hymn shortly before his death, but it was not published for almost 400 years. Translated to English by William H. Draper for a children’s Whitsuntide festival in Leeds, England; first appeared in the Public School Hymn Book, 1919.

Music: Lasst Uns Erfreuen, Ausserlesene Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesäng (Köln, Germany: Peter von Brachel, 1623); harmony by Ralph Vaughan Williams in The English Hymnal (London: Oxford University Press, 1906), number 519 (MIDI, score).

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Refrain

O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Refrain

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.

Refrain

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.

Refrain

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!

Refrain

And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.

Refrain

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

Refrain

D Bm A x2
D G D Bm E A
D Bm A x2
G A D Em G Bm
Bm E A x2 G A D

C Am G x2
C F C Am D G
C Am G x2
F G C Dm F Am
Am D G x2 F G C

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

The Canticle of the Sun

by Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, My Lord, through Sister Water; she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you brighten the night. He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of you; through those who endure sickness and trial. Happy those who endure in peace, for by you, Most High, they will be crowned.

Be praised, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whose embrace no living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those she finds doing your most holy will. The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks, and serve him with great humility.

Labels: 13th c., chords, creation

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

All Things Bright and Beautiful

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Martin F. Shaw (1875-1958)

Words: Cecil F. Alexander, Hymns for Little Children, 1848. Alexander is thought to have written these lyrics at Markree Castle, near Sligo, Ireland.

Music: Royal Oak, 17th Century English melody; arranged by Martin F. Shaw, 1915 (MIDI, score). Alternate tunes:

Bright and Beautiful, William H. Monk (MIDI, score)
Gerald, Ludwig Spohr, 1834 (MIDI, score)

Cecil F. Alexander (1818-1895)

Refrain

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

Refrain

[Most hymnals omit the following verse]

The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

Refrain

The purple headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.

Refrain

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

Refrain

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day.

Refrain

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

Refrain

Labels: 19th c., chords, creation

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

For the Beauty of the Earth

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” Isaiah 6:3

Conrad Kocher (1786-1872)

Words: Folliot S. Pierpoint, in Lyra Eucharistica, by Orby Shipley, second edition, 1864.

Music: Dix, Conrad Kocher, 1838 (MIDI, score). Alternate tunes:

England’s Lane, English melody, adapted by Geoffrey Shaw, 1919 (MIDI, score)
Jesu, Meine Zuversicht, Johann Crüger (1598-1662), adapted by Johann S. Bach (1685-1750) (MIDI, score)
Ratisbon, Johann G. Werner, 1815 (MIDI, score)
Warden, James Turle, in A Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes, by Turle and E. Taylor, 1844 (MIDI, score)

This hymn was sung in the 1994 version of the movie Little Women, which was nominated for several Academy Awards.

If you have access to a picture of Folliot Pierpoint that we could put online, please click here.

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Refrain

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Refrain

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
For Thy prophets’ eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors’ might,
For the lips of infancy.

Refrain

For Thy virgins’ robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.

Refrain

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

Refrain

E A E A B E
E B E A F#m7 B E

D G D G A D
D A D G Em A D

C F C Am F G C
C G C F Dm G C

Labels: 19th c., chords, creation

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

Fairest Lord Jesus / Beautiful Savior

“Who is this…fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars?” Song of Solomon 6:10

Richard S. Willis (1819-1900)

Words: Written by German Jesuits as Schönster Herr Jesu in the 17th Century. Published in the Münster Gesangbuch, 1677, and translated from German to English by Joseph A. Seiss, 1873.

Music: Crusader’s Hymn Silesian folk song from Schlesische Volkslieder, 1842; arranged by Richard S. Willis, 1850 (MIDI, score).

Joseph A. Seiss (1823-1904)

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.

The lyrics above are the ones shown in most hymnals. However, Seiss’ original translation is somewhat different; he titled it “Beautiful Savior.” It is found under this name in many Lutheran hymnals.

Beautiful Savior, King of Creation
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee, truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.

Fair are the meadows, Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in the flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.

Fair is the sunshine, Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!

 C  Am      Dm G C   C    Am    Dm G C
Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
C  F       C       G7  C   G
O Thou of God and man the Son;
 C    F   C  A7  Dm        C  Dm  G7 C
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor
     Am         F      C   G7  C
Thou my soul's glory, joy and crown.

Labels: 17th c., chords, creation

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

What Are The Words

"The testimony given by the heavens is no mere hint, but a plain, unmistakable declaration...'Day after day they pour forth speech'...as though days and nights were but a fountain flowing evermore with Jehovah's praise. HALLELUJAH!"
- Charles Spurgeon in "The Treasury of David

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
- Luk 19:40

C F C Am F G / C F C Am Bb D / G F C

D G D Bm G A / D G D Bm C E / A G D

G C G Em C D / G C G Em F A / D C G

What are the words?
What are they saying?
If I am still
I, too, can hear;
The skies are singing
The breezes whisper
"Make friends with silence,
Stop and draw near"

Our God is true
Our Lord is mighty
Glorious Jehovah
Is calling you.
Now through the thunder
Now through the raining
Now through the laughter
Now through the pain."

Chorus
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Labels: chords, creation, modern

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

Let All Things Now Living

LET ALL THINGS NOW LIVING
 Words: Kathrine K. Davis, 1939
 Tune: Ash Grove, Traditional Welsh Melody
 Season: Thanksgiving

Chords in D

Verses: A7 D A7 D Bm Em  A7 (D Em A7)
A7 D G D A7 D (D G A7 D)

Chorus: D Bm A7 D (D A7)
A7 D Bm A7 Em A (Bm Em A)

Chords in C

C Dm G7 / C F G7 C
C G7 / Am Dm G

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who still guides us on to the end of our days.
God's banners are o'er us, His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into light.

His law he enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a Song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
"To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!"

Labels: chords, creation, modern

¶ Monday, June 04, 2007 0 comments

The Canticle of the Sun

by Francis of Assisi

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