Guide Me

Representative Text

1 Guide me, O my great Redeemer,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but you are mighty;
hold me with your powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore,
feed me now and evermore.

2 Open now the crystal fountain,
where the healing waters flow.
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
ever be my strength and shield,
ever be my strength and shield.

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside.
Death of death, and hell's Destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever sing to you,
I will ever sing to you.

Psalter Hymnal, (Gray)

Author: William Williams

William Williams, called the "Watts of Wales," was born in 1717, at Cefn-y-coed, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. He originally studied medicine, but abandoned it for theology. He was ordained Deacon in the Church of England, but was refused Priest's Orders, and subsequently attached himself to the Calvinistic Methodists. For half a century he travelled in Wales, preaching the Gospel. He died in 1791. Williams composed his hymns chiefly in the Welsh language; they are still largely used by various religious bodies in the principality. Many of his hymns have appeared in English, and have been collected and published by Sedgwick. His two principal poetical works are "Hosannah to the Son of David," and "Gloria in Excelsis." --Annotati… Go to person page >

Translator: Peter Williams

Peter Williams (b. Llansadurnin, Carmarthanshire, Wales, 1722; d. Llandyfeilog, Wales, 1796) was converted to Christianity by the preaching of George Whitefield and was ordained in the Church of England in 1744. His evangelical convictions soon made him suspect, however, and he left the state church to join the Calvinist Methodists in 1746. He served as an itinerant preacher for many years and was a primary figure in the Welsh revival of the eighteenth century. After being expelled by the Methodists in 1791 on a charge of heresy, he ministered in his own chapel during the last years of his life. He published the first Welsh Bible commentary (1767-1770) and a Bible concordance (1773); he was also one of the annotators for John Canne's Welsh… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah
Title: Guide Me
Welsh Title: Arglwydd arwain trwy'r anialwch
Author: William Williams (1745)
Translator: Peter Williams (1771)
Meter: 8.7.8.7.4.7
Source: Welsh
Language: English
Notes: Swahili translation: See "Niongoze, Bwana Mungu"; Spanish translation: See "Peregrinos en desierto" by Thomas M. Westrup
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Ps. 48:14, Ps. 73:23-24, John 6:31-35, Ex. 16:4
st. 2 = Ex. 13:21-22, Ps. 28:7

The great circuit-riding preacher/poet William Williams (b. Cefn-y-Coed, Carmarthenshire, Wales, 1717; d. Pantycelyn, Carmarthenshire, 1791) wrote the original Welsh text "Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch"–"Lord, Lead Me Through the Wilderness." It was published in his Alleluia (1745) and in his Caniadau (1762) with the title, "A prayer for strength to go through the wilderness of the world." Translated into some seventy-five languages, Williams's text has become universally popular in Christendom (and with the tune CWM RHONDDA, a favorite at Welsh rugby matches).

The English translation by Peter Williams (b. Llansadurnin, Carmarthanshire, Wales, 1722; d. Llandyfeilog, Wales, 1796), which began "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah," was published in his Hymns on Various Subjects (1771). That first stanza is still in use, but the remaining stanzas come from William Williams's own translation, which he prepared for The Collection of Hymns Sung in the Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapels (1771).

Pilgrimage is a much-used metaphor in Williams's texts. "Guide Me, O My Great Redeemer" draws on images from the Exodus story in the Old Testament: "bread of heaven" (Ex. 16), "crystal fountain" (Ex. 17), "fire and cloudy pillar" (Ex. 13:21-22). But the New Testament, Christocentric focus of the text is equally clear in the repeated final line of each stanza: Jesus is the "bread of heaven" (or "bread of life," (John 6), the "rock" who is our "strength and shield" (1 Cor. 10:4), and the victor over "death … and hell's destruction" (Rev. 1:18). Thus the change from the original “Jehovah” of the first line to "Redeemer" makes eminent sense.

William Williams and Peter Williams were contemporaries with a similar background. William Williams is usually considered to be the greatest Welsh hymn writer of the eighteenth century. He had begun to prepare himself for a medical profession, but the course of his life was altered when he was influenced by the ministry of Howell Harris, an evangelist associated with George Whitefield. Williams began to study for the ministry and in 1740 was ordained a deacon in the Church of England. After being refused ordination as a priest because of his evangelical beliefs, he joined the Calvinist Methodists in 1744. He became an itinerant evangelist and for the next forty-five years served as a leading figure in the revival movement in Wales. Williams's evangelistic preaching was greatly aided by his hymns, which were sung with great enthusiasm at revival and "society" meetings. Known as the "sweet singer of Wales," he wrote about eight hundred hymn texts in Welsh and over one hundred in English. They were published in Alleluia (1744), Hosanna I Fab Dafydd (1754), Hosanna to the Son of David (1759), Y Moro Wydr (1762), and Gloria in Excelsis (1771).

Peter Williams was converted to Christianity by the preaching of George Whitefield and was ordained in the Church of England in 1744. His evangelical convictions soon made him suspect, however, and he left the state church to join the Calvinist Methodists in 1746. He served as an itinerant preacher for many years and was a primary figure in the Welsh revival of the eighteenth century. After being expelled by the Methodists in 1791 on a charge of heresy, he ministered in his own chapel during the last years of his life. He published the first Welsh Bible commentary (1767-1770) and a Bible concordance (1773); he was also one of the annotators for John Canne's Welsh Bible (1790). In addition Williams published a Welsh hymnal, Rhai Hymnau ac Odlau Ysbrydol (1759), as well as Hymns on Various Subjects (1771).

Liturgical Use:
As a hymn of pilgrimage and prayer for divine providence; for various services and occasions on the Christian journey, including Old/New Year and the Easter season (given its Exodus theme).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1998
=============================
Arglwydd arwain trwy'r anialwch. W. Williams. [Strength to pass through the Wilderness.] This was published in the firstedition of the author's Alleluia , Bristol, 1745, in 5 stanzas of 6 lines.
The first translation of a part of this hymn into English was by Peter Williams, in his Hymns on Various Subjects (vii.), Together with The Novice Instructed: Being an abstract of a letter written to a Friend. By the Rev. P. Williams, Carmarthen, 1771, Printed for the author.
W. Williams himself adopted the translation of stanzas i., ii., iii. and iv. into English, added a fourth stanza, and printed them as a leaflet as follows:—

"A Favourite Hymn,
sung by
Lady Huntingdon's Young Collegians.
Printed by the desire of many Christian friends.
Lord, give it Thy blessing!
i.
“Guide me, 0 Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand:
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more.

ii.
"Open now the chrystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey thro*:
Strong Deliv'rer, strong Deliv'rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield.

iii.
"When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell's destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan's side:
I will ever give to Thee.

iv.
"Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav'nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!"

This leaflet was undated, but was c. 1772. During the same or the following year, it was included in the Lady H. Collection, 5th edition, Bath, W. Gye, No. 94. Stanzas i.-iii. had previously appeared in The Collection of Hymns. sung in the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapels in Sussex. Edinburgh: Printed by A. Donaldson, for William Balcombe, Angmoring, Sussex, No. 202. This is undated; but Mr. Brooke's copy contains the autograph, "Elizabt. Featherstonehaugh, 1772," the writing and ink of which show it to be genuine. We can safely date it 1771. It was repeated in G. Whitefield's Psalms & Hymns, 1773; in Conyers, 1774, and others, until it has become one of the most extensively used hymns in the English language.
There are diversities of text in use the origin of which in every case it is difficult to determine. The most widely known are:—
1. Where the 6th line in each stanza reads respectively, "Bread of heaven," "Strong deliverer," and "Songs of praises," the arrangement is from the Lady H. Collection, 1771. This form is given in nineteen out of every twenty hymnals which adopt the hymn, including Hymns Ancient & Modern &c.
2. Where the 5th line reads respectively, "Lord of Glory," "Strong deliverer," "Lord and Saviour," the text is from Cotterill's Selection, 1810 to 1819, where it is changed to the plural throughout.
3. Where the 5th line reads respectively, "Of Thy goodness," "Strong Deliverer," and "Grateful praises," the changes were made in Hall's Mitre, 1836.
4. The original, with the omission of lines 5 and 6 in each stanza, thereby reducing it to 8 7's, given in many American hymnals, appeared in the Prayer Book Collection, 1826.
In addition to these there are altered texts, as follows:
5. Guide us, 0 Thou great Redeemer, in Morrell & How, 1854; Scottish Episcopal Hymn Book, 1858, and others.
6. Guide us, Thou whose Name is Saviour. By J. Keble, re-written for the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, and repeated in the People's Hymnal, 1867, Sarum, 1868, the Hymnary, 1872, &c.
7. Guide us, Jesu, Holy Saviour. In the Parish Hymn Book 1863-75. This is Keble's alteration of Williams, again altered.
8. Guide us, 0 Thou great Deliverer. In the English Hymnal, by J. A. Johnston, 2nd ed., 1856, No. 167.
9. 0 Thou Great Jehovah, lead us. This form of the text is in Kennedy, 1863, No. 639.
10. Guide us, O eternal Saviour. In the Calcutta Hymn Book, 1862, No. 102.

This hymn in one form or another has been rendered into many languages, but invariably from the English. These translations included the Rev. B. Bingham's rendering into Latin, "Magne tu, Jehova," of the 3 stanza arrangement, given with the English text, in his Hymnologia Christiana Latina, 1871.

--Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

ZION (Hastings)


CWM RHONDDA

The popularity of Williams's text ("Guide me, O thou great Jehovah") is undoubtedly aided by its association with CWM RHONDDA, composed in 1905 by John Hughes (b. Dowlais, Glamorganshire, Wales, 1873; d. Llantwit Fardre, Wales, 1932) during a church service for a Baptist Cymanfa Ganu (song festival)…

Go to tune page >


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.
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #56
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #406b
The Cyber Hymnal #2070
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #543
The United Methodist Hymnal #127
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF)
Worship and Rejoice #501

Instances

Instances (1101 - 1200 of 1813)
Page Scan

Songs of the Church #898

Page Scan

Songs of the Covenant #313

Songs of the Gospel #d34

Page Scan

Songs of the King #232

Page Scan

Songs of the Kingdom #172c

Page Scan

Songs of the Kingdom #228

Page Scan

Songs of the Morning #167

Page Scan

Songs of the New Life #117

Page Scan

Songs of the Pentecost for the Forward Gospel Movement #98

Songs of the Soul #d35

Songs of the Soul #d46

Page Scan

Songs of the Soul #84

Page Scan

Songs of the Tabernacle #103

Page Scan

Songs of Work and Worship #166

Page Scan

Songs of Zion Enlarged #279

Songs of Zion #208

Sonnets of Praise #d42

Page Scan

Soul Refreshing Songs #89

Soul Songs #d55

Soul Songs. Souvenir & Prospectus ed. #d23

Page Scan

Soul Winning Songs #166

Spiritual hymns of worship #d112

Page Scan

Spiritual Life Songs #52

Page Scan

Spiritual Life Songs #52

Spiritual Songs #d55

Spiritual Songs #d56

Spiritual Songs and Hymns for Pilgrims. New Church ed. #d59

Spiritual Songs and Hymns, for Use in All Gospel Services #d144

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Gospel Meetings and the Sunday School #110e

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #190 [161]

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #190

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #190

Standard Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #d84

Page Scan

Standard Hymns and Spiritual Songs #176

Page Scan

Standard Songs #78

Standard Songs. Special ed. #d37

Page Scan

Sun-Shine Songs #33

TextPage Scan

Sunday School Book #117

Sunday School Chimes #d30

Sunday School Hymn Book #d126

Page Scan

Sunday School Hymnal #40

Sunday School Hymns #d55

Sunday School Service and Hymn Book arranged by the Sunday School Committee #d47

Page Scan

Sunday School Voices, No.2 #219

Page Scan

Sunday School Voices, No.2 #220

Page Scan

Sunday-School Book #46

Sunshine Choruses #d10

Supplement to Watts #d164

Supplemental Songs, Volume Two #d4

Page Scan

Sursum Corda #145a

Page Scan

Sursum Corda #145b

Page Scan

Sweetest Melodies #115

Page Scan

Tabernacle Hymns #323

Page Scan

Tabernacle Hymns #214

Text

Tabernacle Hymns #236

Tabernacle Hymns #11

Tabernacle Hymns #251

Page Scan

Tears and Triumphs No. 3 #143

Temperance Songs, for Congregational Singing in Temperance Gatherings of All Varieties #d25

Temple Chimes #d81

Page Scan

Temple Melodies #471

Page Scan

Temple Themes and Sacred Songs #t59

The A. M. E. Zion Hymnal #325

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #82

TextPage Scan

The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #681

Page Scan

The Abingdon Hymnal #254

Page Scan

The Academic Hymnal #265

The Advent Christian Hymnal #d122

The Advent Christian Hymnal. Rev. #d98

Page Scan

The Advent Harp; designed for believers in the speedy coming of Christ #88b

The African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymn Book #d146

Page Scan

The African Methodist Episcopal Hymn and Tune Book #605

Page Scan

The Aid to Praise #42

Page Scan

The Aid to Praise #76

Page Scan

The Alleluia #173a

The Amaranth #d54

The American Hymn and Tune Book #d236

The American Hymnal #d183

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d126

Page Scan

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #255

The American Hymnal for English Speaking People Everywhere #d94

Page Scan

The American Sabbath School Singing Book #99

Page Scan

The American School Hymn Book #XXVI

Page Scan

The American School Hymn Book. (New ed.) #XXVI

The American Seaman's Hymn Book #d73

Page Scan

The American Sunday-School Hymn-Book #239

The American Tune Book (Carmina Sacra, enlarged) #d129

Page Scan

The American Vocalist #173a

Page Scan

The Army and Navy Hymnal #95

The Army and Navy Prayer Book #d16

The Army Hymn Book #d27

The Army Hymn Book. 2nd ed. #d34

Page Scan

The Assembly Hymn and Song Collection #90

The Association Hymn Book #d39

The Australian Hymn Book with Catholic Supplement #478

The Baptist Hymn and Praise Book #d144

Page Scan

The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book for Public Worship #694

Page Scan

The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, for Public Worship #221.694

Page Scan

The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book #888

Pages

Exclude 1706 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us