A New Year's Message

Top Media Text Author Text Info Tune Timeline Page Scans Instances

I asked the New Year for some motto sweet

Author: Anonymous
Tune: [I asked the New Year for some motto sweet]
Published in 4 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 I asked the New Year for some motto sweet,
Some rule of life with which to guide my feet;
I asked and paused; he answered soft and low,
“God’s will, God’s will to know,
God’s will to know.”

2 “Will knowledge then suffice, New Year?” I cried;
And ere the question into silence died,
The answer came, “Nay, but remember, too,
God’s will, God’s will to do,
God’s will to do.”

3 Once more I asked, “Is there no more to tell?”
And once again the answer sweetly fell:
“Yes, this one thing, all other things above,
God’s will, God’s will to love,
God’s will to love.”

Source: The Praise Book: for Young People's Societies, Church Prayer Meetings and Sunday Schools #226

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

^ top