An Autumn Hymn

Representative Text

Full soon will fall the winter rain,
Soon fade the green hill-side;
With all thy glory, fare thee well,
Thou radiant summer-tide.

Full soon will wail the winter wind,
Soon fail the flowers that blow;
Let autumn blight the buds of earth,
The flower of Hope doth grow!

What though the sunlight wane? ne'er wanes
The grace of Christ the Lord;
Amid the gathering gloom shines on
God's everlasting Word.

Though leaf may wither, floweret fade,
Though tiny grass blade pale;
Our hearts can trust a surer truth—
God's love shall never fail.

Though winter chill each struggling herb,
My gladness ne'er can cease;
From Bethlehem calls a voice, "To you
Is born the Prince of Peace."

Upon my fairest trees of hope
Lies cold a robe of snow;
But from the Tree where Jesus died
The Living Waters flow.

Though fade the grass on hill and dale,
Though ice bind stream and fell;
My faith in Him shall never fail,
Who burst the bonds of Hell.

Good hope of everlasting spring
His Church the Saviour gave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! The Life Himself
Is risen from the grave!

Author: Kaspar Johannes Boye

Caspar Johannes Boye was born in Kongsberg, Norway in 1791. He studied both law and theology at the University of Copenhagen, became a teacher and later served as rector in Søllerød, Helsingørand and Copenhagen. He died in 1853. See also in: Wikipedia  Go to person page >

Translator: Valdimar Briem

Born: Feb­ru­a­ry 1, 1848, Grund, Ice­land. Died: May 3, 1930, Stó­ri-Nú­pur, Ice­land. Briem at­tend­ed the The­o­lo­gic­al Sem­in­ary in Reyk­ja­vik, was or­dained in 1873, and in 1880 be­came pas­tor of the Stó­ri-Nú­pur par­ish, where he served for three de­cades. In 1909, he be­came vice-bi­shop of Skál­holt. The 1886 Ice­lan­dic hym­nal has 102 orig­in­al hymns by Briem, and 39 of his trans­la­tions. Lyrics: Hve dryalegur er Drott­inn (How Mar­vel­ous God’s Great­ness) Lord, Let Thy Spir­it © The Cyber Hymnal™ (www.hymntime.com/tch) Go to person page >

Translator: Charles Venn Pilcher

Pilcher, Charles Venn. (Oxford, June 4, 1879--July 4, 1961, Sydney, Australia). Anglican. Grandnephew of Charlotte Elliott. Hertford College, Oxford, B.A., 1902; M.A., 1905; B.D., 1909; D.D., 1921. Curacies at Birmingham, 1903-1905; St. James, Toronto, 1910-1916; taught theology at Auckland Castle, England, 1905-1906, and at Wycliffe College, Toronto, 1916-1936. Elected coadjutor bishop of Sydney, Australia, at the instance of a former Wycliffe colleague, Archbishop Mowll. He composed hymn tunes and other music, and long played bass clarinet in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Also, he translated and published much devotional material from Iceland, notably Iceland Christian Classics (1950). These side interests, like his hymn writing, merely… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Full soon will fall the winter rain
Title: An Autumn Hymn
Author: Kaspar Johannes Boye
Translator: Valdimar Briem
Translator: Charles Venn Pilcher
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English

Instances

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Text

Passion-Hymns of Iceland, The #16

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