Turn, Turn to Him

Representative Text

1 As panting in the sultry beam,
The hart desires the cooling stream,
So to Thy presence, Lord, I flee,
So longs my soul, O God, for Thee;
Athirst to taste Thy living grace,
And see Thy glory face to face.

2 But rising griefs distress my soul,
And tears on tears successive roll;
For many an evil voice is near
to chide my woe and mock my fear;
And silent memory weeps alone
O'er hours of peace and gladness flown.

3 For I have walked the happy round
That 'circles Sion's holy ground,
And gladly swell'd the choral lays
That hymn'd my great Redeemer's praise,
What time the hallow'd arches rung
Responsive to the solemn song.

4 Ah, why, by passing clouds opprest,
Should vexing thoughts distract thy breast?
Turn, turn to Him, in every pain,
Whom never suppliant sought in vain,
Thy strength, in joy's ecstatic day,
Thy hope, when joy has pass'd away.

Hymnal: according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, 1871

Author: John Bowdler

John Bowlder was born in London, in 1783. He was educated at Winchester College, and entered the legal profession. As a barrister, he gave unusual promise of eminence; but died in 1815, at the age of thirty-two. His miscellaneous writings were published in 1816, by his father, under the title of "Select Pieces of Prose and Verse." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: As panting in the sultry beam
Title: Turn, Turn to Him
Author: John Bowdler
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Turn, turn to him in every pain
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

As panting, in the sultry beam. John Bowler. [Ps. xlii.] A metrical rendering of Ps. xlii: from his Select Pieces in Verse and Prose, 1816, p. 60, in 2 parts, each containing 4 stanzas of 6 lines. The first part is found in some of the older collections, including Elliott's Psalms & Hymns, 1835, and others, but has almost entirely fallen out of use in Great Britain. It is still found in a limited number of American hymnals. Original text, Lyra Britannica, 1867, p. 83.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 31 of 31)
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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #569

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #569

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American Psalmody #187

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Church Melodies #213

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Church Poetry #29

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Crown of Gold #148

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Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #452

Text

Hymnal #452

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Hymnal #452

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Hymns for Christian Melody #612

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Hymns for Public Worship #131

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Hymns for the Sanctuary #351

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Hymns of the Church Universal #265

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Hymns of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, as authorized by the General Convention #159

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #281

Selected Hymn Tunes with Words for Church and Home. First series #d4

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Selections from the Psalms of David in Metre #H159

Songs in the Night; or Hymns for the Sick and Suffering. 2nd ed. #d13

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Songs of Devotion for Christian Assocations #422

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Songs of the Church #483

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The Baptist Psalmody #702

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The Church Hymnal with Canticles #452

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The Clifton Chapel Collection of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs" #657

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The Hymnal #452

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The Lecture-Room Hymn-Book #H159

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The Psalmist #S78

Unitarian Service Book, and Hymns for Church and Home. Abridged ed. #d24

University Hymn Book for use in the Chapel of Harvard University #d14

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Voice of Praise #125

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