Sunday, March 24, 2024

All things bright and beautiful

447 Royal Oak. 7. 6. 7. 6. with Refrain.

Refrain (also sung as verse 1)
   All things bright and beautiful,
   All creatures great and small,
   All things wise and wonderful:
   The Lord God made them all.

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

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

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

5. 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]
                         Cecil F. Alexander
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1939 edition

<idle musing>
I was very surprised to see that this hymn, made famous by the James Herriot books, is only in 330 or so hymnals. I knew it long before the books came out, so I assumed that it was far more popular. I guess not! Hymnary.org adds another verse:

The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, To gather every day. [Refrain]
</idle musing>

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