Icelandic Millennial Hymn

God of our land, our father's God, receive

Author: Matthías Jochumsson; Translator: Charles Venn Pilcher
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

God of our land, our father's God, receive
The hymn we raise to Thine all-holy name.
Thy crown the ministering ages weave
Of suns celestial, galaxies of flame.
To Thee one day is as a thousand years,
A thousand years to Thee are but a day,
A flower of endless time, bedewed with tears,
Which glorifies its God, and fades away—
Our thousand years,
A flower of endless time, bedewed with tears,
Which glorifies its God and fades away.

God of our Iceland, now with burning heart
We offer Thee this sacrifice of praise;
From age to age Thou, Lord, our Father art;
Our holy anthem unto Thee we raise:
To Thee, as now are told our thousand years,
We sing, for other refuge have we none:
To Thee our voices lift, midst falling tears,
Great Shaper of our lot, whilst ages run.
Our thousand years!
Midst gloom of morning twilight, lo! our tears,
Lit with the glory of the rising sun.

God of our land, our father's God, behold!
We are but fading flower and withering grass;
If Thou be not our light and life, to mould,
After spring's transient gleam, we fade and pass.
Be, Lord, each morn a spring of endless life;
Our Captain midst the battle of the day;
At eve our heavenly resting place from strife,
The Leader of Thy people's pilgrim way.
Our thousand years!
Increase the nation! Wipe away all tears!
We join the Host of God towards the day!

Author: Matthías Jochumsson

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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: God of our land, our father's God, receive
Title: Icelandic Millennial Hymn
Author: Matthías Jochumsson
Translator: Charles Venn Pilcher
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
Language: English

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
Text

Passion-Hymns of Iceland, The #32

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