Watchman, Tell Us of the Night

Representative Text

1 Watchman, tell us of the night,
what its signs of promise are.
Traveler, what a wondrous sight:
see that glory-beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
news of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes; it brings the day,
promised day of Israel.

2 Watchman, tell us of the night;
higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
see, it bursts o’er all the earth.

3 Watchman, tell us of the night,
for the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, shadows take their flight;
doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, you may go your way;
hasten to your quiet home.
Traveler, we rejoice today,
for Emmanuel has come!


Source: Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #97

Author: John Bowring

James Bowring was born at Exeter, in 1792. He possessed at an early age a remarkable power of attaining languages, and acquired some reputation by his metrical translations of foreign poems. He became editor of "The Westminster Review" in 1825, and was elected to Parliament in 1835. In 1849, he was appointed Consul at Canton, and in 1854, was made Governor of Hong Kong, and received the honour of knighthood. He is the author of some important works on politics and travel, and is the recipient of several testimonials from foreign governments and societies. His poems and hymns have also added to his reputation. His "Matins and Vespers" have passed through many editions. In religion he is a Unitarian. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charl… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Watchman! tell us of the night
Title: Watchman, Tell Us of the Night
Author: John Bowring (1825)
Meter: 7.7.7.7 D
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Traveler, yes, it brings the day
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Watchman! tell us of the night. Sir J. Bowring. [Advent.] First published in his Hymns, 1825, No. 59, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines. It is found in several modern hymnals, including Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, &c.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Tune

WATCHMAN (Mason)


ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR (Elvey)

George J. Elvey (PHH 48) composed ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR as a setting for James Montgomery's text "Hark! The Song of Jubilee," with which it was published in Edward H. Thorne's Selection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1858). The tune has been associated with Alford's text since publication of the hymn in th…

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.
The Cyber Hymnal #7125
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 855)
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7125

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #A.XIV

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #A.XV

Page Scan

Church Psalmody #A24

Family Hymns #d262

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #A.XV

Page Scan

Manual of Christian Psalmody #C24

Melodies of the Church #d1066

Page Scan

Sacred lyrics, or Select hymns #242

Supplement to Watts #d447

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #A.XV

A Selection of Hymns #d299

Camp Meeting Hymn Book #d144

Church Melodies, a Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d1113

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #110

Page Scan

The Choir #326

The New and Improved Camp Meeting Hymn Book #d143

National Hymns #d142

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #110

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #574

Page Scan

Hymns for Christian Melody #A8

Page Scan

New Select Hymns #189

Page Scan

Spiritual Songs for Social Worship #110

The Christian Companion; or, Camp-Meeting Hymn Book #d94

Page Scan

The Sacred Harp or Eclectic Harmony #188

Virginia Selection of Psalms #d458

Page Scan

Select Hymns #410

Page Scan

The Christian's Harp #A62

Page Scan

Evangelical Hymns #163

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #623

Die Union Choral Harmonie #d194

Page Scan

Evangelical Musick #252

Page Scan

Social Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #505

Page Scan

Hymns for Social Worship #431

Missionary Hymns #d80

Page Scan

The Christian Psalmist; or, Watts' Psalms and Hymns #525

Page Scan

The Harp #11

Page Scan

A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints #242

Page Scan

Carmina Sacra #287

Evangelical Musick #d104

Hymns for the Vestry and the Fireside #d329

Millennial Musings #d107

The Christian Psalter #d610

Page Scan

A Selection of Sacred Songs #16

Conference Hymns for Social Worship. 8th ed. #d143

Page Scan

Hymns #859

Page Scan

Millennial Harp #M32

Page Scan

Sacred Melodies #106

Social Melodies #d137

Page Scan

Temperance Hymn Book and Minstrel #27

Page Scan

The Baptist Hymn Book #B145

The Chapel Hymn Book (4th ed.) #d392

Page Scan

The Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. #D240

Page Scan

The Religious Songster #44

Page Scan

The Virginia Selection of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #585

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America #d561

Page Scan

Church Psalmody #C24

Page Scan

Dupuy's Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Rev. corr. and enl.) #LVI

Manual of Catholic Melodies #d168

Sabbath School and Social Hymns of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of the U.S.A. #d292

Sacred Melodies #d269

Page Scan

Social Psalmist #523

Temperance Hymn Book and Minstrel #d124

Page Scan

The Psalmist #893

Universalist Hymn Book #d590

Page Scan

Parish Hymns #448

Parish Psalmody #d882

Page Scan

The Disciples' Hymn Book #150

The Psalmodist #d254

Page Scan

Church Psalmist #523

Page Scan

Hymns for Public Worship #364

Page Scan

Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #H457

The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d384

Page Scan

The Sunday School Singing Book #60

Page Scan

A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. #603

Chapel Hymns #d612

Page Scan

Millennial Harp #C32

Page Scan

Seamen's Hymns #523

Select Melodies, comprising the Best of Those Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Common Use #d254

The Christian Minstrel #d311

The Modern Harp #d293

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d905

A Compilation of Genuine Church Music. 4th ed. #d304

Page Scan

A Manual of Devotion for Soldiers and Sailors #77

Page Scan

Baptist Hymn Book #aB145

Page Scan

Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #220

Page Scan

Church Psalmist #523

Page Scan

Conference Hymns #204

Page Scan

A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (10th ed.) #102

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d911

Page Scan

A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #574

Pages

Exclude 843 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us