God Be with You Till We Meet Again

Representative Text

1 God be with you till we meet again;
loving counsels guide, uphold you,
may the Shepherd’s care enfold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain:
Till we meet, till we meet,
till we meet at Jesus’ feet.
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

2 God be with you till we meet again;
unseen wings, protecting, hide you,
daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again. [Refrain]

3 God be with you till we meet again;
when life’s perils thick confound you,
put unfailing arms around you;
God be with you till we meet again. [Refrain]

4 God be with you till we meet again;
keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
smite death’s threat’ning wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again. [Refrain]

Source: Voices Together #840

Author: Jeremiah Eames Rankin

Pseudonym: R. E. Jeremy. Rankin, Jeremiah Eames, D.D., was born at Thornton, New Haven, Jan. 2, 1828, and educated at Middleburg College, Vermont, and at Andover. For two years he resided at Potsdam, U.S. Subsequently he held pastoral charges as a Congregational Minister at New York, St. Albans, Charlestown, Washington ( District of Columbia), &c. In 1878 he edited the Gospel Temperance Hymnal, and later the Gospel Bells. His hymns appeared in these collections, and in D. E. Jones's Songs of the New Life, 1869. His best known hymn is "Labouring and heavy laden" (Seeking Christ). This was "written [in 1855] for a sister who was an inquirer," was first printed in the Boston Recorder, and then included in Nason's Congregational Hymn Book,… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: God be with you till we meet again
Title: God Be with You Till We Meet Again
Author: Jeremiah Eames Rankin (1880)
Meter: 9.8.8.9 with refrain
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Till we meet, till we meet
Notes: German translation: See Gott sei mit euch bis zum wiedersehn, Seine Gnade euch geliete" by F. A. Willman, "Gott sei mit euch bis zum Wiedersehn! Mög Er freundlich euch regieren", "Gott sei mit euch bis zum wiedersehn, Sein Erbarmen seine Güte" by C. Hanser; Spanish translation: See "Dios os guarde en su santo amor" by Pierre Aguirre de la Barrera; Swahili translation: See "Mungu awe nanyi daima"
Copyright: Public Domain
Liturgical Use: Benediction

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Acts 20:32
st. 3 = Deut. 33:27
st. 4 = Songs of Songs 2:4

Jeremiah E. Rankin (b. Thornton, NH, 1828; d. Cleveland, OH, 1904) says of his hymn text,

It was written as a Christian good-bye; it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of "good-bye," which means "God be with you." The first stanza was sent to two different composers, one of musical note, the other [William G. Tomer] wholly unknown and not thoroughly educated in music. I selected the composition of the latter, and with some slight changes it was published.

The first stanza was published in 1880 with the tune GOD BE WITH YOU by William G. Tomer in Gospel Bells; the 1883 edition of that hymnal included eight stanzas. A popular hymn, "God Be with You" gained currency through the evangelistic crusades of Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey (PHH 73). Modern hymnals usually print only four stanzas.

The text is essentially a parting blessing, a prayer that God will guide you (st. 1), feed you (st. 2), and protect you in life and in death (st. 3-4). Each stanza is framed by the phrase "God be with you till we meet again."

A graduate of Middlebury College, Vermont, and of Andover Theological Seminary, Newton Center, Massachusetts, Rankin served Congregational churches in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey (1855-1889). In 1889 he became president of Howard University, Washington, D.C., a school famous for its many prominent African American graduates. Rankin issued three volumes of poetry and hymn texts (of which "God Be with You" is his most well-known), collaborated in the compilation of hymnals such as The Gospel Temperance Hymnal (1878) and Gospel Bells (1880), and published German-English Lyrics, Sacred and Secular (1897).

Liturgical Use:
Though traditionally used when ministers, missionaries, or others take their leave from a congregation, this hymn is generally useful as a dismissal hymn, as a prayer for blessing, and as a sung benediction.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Timeline

Media

You have access to this FlexScore.
Download:
Are parts of this score outside of your desired range? Try transposing this FlexScore.
General Settings
Stanza Selection
Voice Selection
Text size:
Music size:
Transpose (Half Steps):
Capo:
Contacting server...
Contacting server...
Questions? Check out the FAQ

A separate copy of this score must be purchased for each choir member. If this score will be projected or included in a bulletin, usage must be reported to a licensing agent (e.g. CCLI, OneLicense, etc).

This is a preview of your FlexScore.
The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #304b
The Cyber Hymnal #1708
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Timeless Truths #112
  • God_Be_with_You_till_We_Meet_Again.pdf (PDF)
The United Methodist Hymnal #672
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The United Methodist Hymnal #673
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #716
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 1159)

A Calendar of Hymns #d17

Page Scan

A Hymnal for Joyous Youth #24

A Messenger for Jesus #d62

Page Scan

A Missionary Hymn Book #159

A Service Hymn Book #d36

A Treasury of Hymns, the Best-Loved Hymns, Carols ... #d77

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #444

A.M.E. Hymnal #d109

Page Scan

Abiding Faith #154

TextPage Scan

African American Heritage Hymnal #634

TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #45

Page Scan

African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #695

Page Scan

Alexander's Gospel Songs #34

Page Scan

Alexander's Gospel Songs No. 2 #184

Alexander's Hymns No. 2 #166

Page Scan

Alexander's Male Choir #116

Page Scan

Alexander's New Revival Hymns #141

All Hail #d47

Page Scan

Alleluia #297

Ambassador Hymnal #251

American Church and Church School Hymnal #d92

Page Scan

American Church and Church School Hymnal #39

TextPage Scan

American Lutheran Hymnal #650

Text

Ancient and Modern #480

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #236

Page Scan

Anthems from the Throne #136

Armed Forces Service Book for Public and Private Use. 2nd rev. ed. #d19

Assembly Songs #247

Page Scan

Awakening Songs for the Church, Sunday School and Evangelistic Services #122

Banner of Love #d17

Banner of Love Nos. 1, 2 & 3 #d25

Baptist Hymnal #372

Page Scan

Baptist Hymnal (1975 ed) #261

Beautiful Songs of Heaven #d18

Bells of Bethlehem #d24

Bells of Heaven #d109

Bells of Heaven #d99

Bells of Heaven #d94

Bells of Victory #d21

Page Scan

Best Endeavor Hymns #220

Best Hymns No. 2 #d29

Page Scan

Best Hymns No. 3 #179

Page Scan

Best Hymns No. 4 #184

Page Scan

Best Hymns #155

Best of All #d23

Best of All Songs #d27

Page Scan

Bethany Hymns #117

Bethel Tidings #d25

Better Convention Songs, Our 1929 Book #d23

Beulah Bells #d25

Page Scan

Bible Songs #153

Billows of Praise #d49

Billows of Song #d47

Blessed Refuge #244

Page Scan

Blissful Showers #33

Book of Common Praise #d150

Page Scan

Book of Sacred Selections for Men's Voices #52

TextPage Scan

Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #67

Page Scan

Boundless Love #33

Bright Gems #d37

Brighter Day #d16

Page Scan

Calvary Hymns #207

Page Scan

Calvary's Praises #286

Camp Meeting Songs, a Collection of Gospel Songs ... #d19

Page Scan

Cân a Mawl #279

Page Scan

Carmina Centum #10

Carmina for Social Worship #d71

Page Scan

Carmina for the Sunday School and Social Worship #29

Carmina Sacra #d49

Carols of Glory #d35

Carols of Love #d29

Carols of Peace for Christian Work and Worship #d29

Carols of Truth #d41

Carry Away a Song #d27

Text

Celebrating Grace Hymnal #523

Page Scan

Celestial Showers No. 1, a collection of gospel songs used in Rev. I. Toliver's Meetings #60

Celestial Songs for all Purposes #d35

Page Scan

Celestial Songs #872

TextPage Scan

Chalice Hymnal #434

Chapel Conference Songbook #d22

Cheerful Chimes #d30

Page Scan

Cheerful Songs #151

Child Songs #d5

Choice Collections #d40

Choice Gospel Songs #d46

Page Scan

Choice Hymns of the Faith #541

Page Scan

Choice Songs #132

Choruses for Christian Youth #ad16

Choruses for Christian Youth [6th edition] #d16

Christ in Song #d155

TextPage Scan

Christ in Song #504

Page Scan

Christian Endeavor Edition of Gospel Hymns No. 6 #209

Page Scan

Christian Endeavor Edition of Sacred Songs No. 1 #143

Page Scan

Christian Endeavor Hymns #201

Christian Hymnal #d131

Page Scan

Christian Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #654

Christian Hymns III #d85

Page Scan

Christian Hymns No. 1 #254

Page Scan

Christian Hymns #343

Pages

Exclude 1076 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us