When morning gilds the skies

Full Text

1 When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!

2 Whene'er the sweet church bell
Peals over hill and dell,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Oh,hark to what it sings,
As joyously it rings,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

3 My tongue shall never tire
Of chanting with the choir,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy,
It never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

4 When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest,
With this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

5 Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

6 The night becomes as day,
When from the heart we say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear,
When this sweet chant they hear,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

7 In heaven's eternal bliss
The loveliest strain is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let earth, and sea, and sky,
From depth to height, reply,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

8 Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
Through ages all along,
May Jesus Christ be praised!

The Hymnal: revised and enlarged as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892

Translator: Edward Caswall

Edward Caswall was born in 1814, at Yately, in Hampshire, where his father was a clergyman. In 1832, he went to Brasenose College, Oxford, and in 1836, took a second-class in classics. His humorous work, "The Art of Pluck," was published in 1835; it is still selling at Oxford, having passed through many editions. In 1838, he was ordained Deacon, and in 1839, Priest. He became perpetural Curate of Stratford-sub-Castle in 1840. In 1841, he resigned his incumbency and visited Ireland. In 1847, he joined the Church of Rome. In 1850, he was admitted into the Congregation of the Oratory at Birmingham, where he has since remained. He has published several works in prose and poetry. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >

Notes

When morning gilds the skies, by E. Caswall, first published in H. Formby's Catholic Hymns, London, N. D., 1854 [approbation May 3, 1853], p. 44, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines and double refrain. In Caswall's Masque of Mary, 1858, 8 stanzas were added, and thus in his Hymns & Poems, 1873, p. 155, in 28 stanzas of 2 lines and refrain, entitled "The Praises of Jesus," the first line being given as "Gelobt sey Jesus Christ," which, as will be seen above, is the original refrain. The full text is given unaltered as No. 269 in the Appendix to the Hymnal Noted, 3rd edition, 1867.
This hymn has attained considerable popularity, and is found in varying centos, as in Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1868-75; Hymnary, 1872; Baptist Hymnal, 1879; Scottish Free Church Hymn Book, 1882; Border's Collection, 1884; and in America in the Baptist Praise Book, 1871; Evangelical Hymnal, N. Y., 1880; Laudes Domini, 1884, and others. Generally it appears under its original first line, but in the People's Hymnal, 1867, it is divided into two parts, No. 446 beginning "The night becomes as day," which is stanza xi. of the 1828, and stanza xx. of the text of 1873. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

LAUDES DOMINI (Barnby)

Joseph Barnby (b. York, England, 1838; d. London, England, 1896) composed LAUDES DOMINI for this text. Tune and text were published together in the 1868 Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern and they have been inseparable ever since. An accomplished and popular choral director in England, Barnby show…

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Timeline

Media

Baptist Hymnal 1991 #221
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #438
The United Methodist Hymnal #185
Worship and Rejoice #111

Instances

Instances (38)TextImageAudioScore
African American Heritage Hymnal #186TextImage
Baptist Hymnal 1991 #221TextImageAudioScore
Baptist Hymnal 2008 #141TextImage
Celebrating Grace Hymnal #345Image
Celebration Hymnal #215TextImage
Chalice Hymnal #100Text
Christian Worship: a Lutheran hymnal #251Text
Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #344
Common Praise #2Text
Complete Anglican Hymns Old & New #755
Complete Mission Praise #756
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #85Text
Evangelical Lutheran Worship #853Image
Hymnal 1982: according to the use of the Episcopal Church #427TextImage
Hymns Ancient & Modern, New Standard Edition #146
Hymns of Faith #10TextImage
Hymns of the Saints: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints #35
Hymns Old and New: New Anglican #551
Lift Up Your Hearts: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs #372Image
Living Hymns #4
Lutheran Service Book #807Text
Presbyterian Hymnal #487TextImage
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #438TextImageAudioScore
Rejoice in the Lord #365Text
Revival Hymns and Choruses #11
Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #43
Sing Glory: Hymns, Psalms and Songs for a New Century #74
Sing Joyfully #66TextImage
The Christian Life Hymnal #51
The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration #87
The New Century Hymnal #86Image
The United Methodist Hymnal #185TextImageAudioScore
The Worshiping Church #99TextImage
Together in Song: Australian Hymn Book II #227
Trinity Hymnal #167Text
Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of The United Church of Canada #339Text
Worship and Rejoice #111TextImageAudioScore
Worship in Song: A Friends Hymnal #34