1 When the dark waves round us roll,
And we look in vain for aid,
Speak, Lord, to the trembling soul,
"It is I; be not afraid."
2 When we dimly trace Thy form
In mysterious clouds arrayed,
Be the echo of the storm,
"It is I; be not afraid."
3 When our brightest hopes depart,
When our fairest visions fade,
Whisper to the fainting heart,
"It is I; be not afraid."
4 When we weep beside the bier
Where some well-loved form is laid,
O may then the mourner hear,
"It is I; be not afraid."
5 When with wearing hopeless pain
Sinks the spirit, sore dismayed,
Breathe Thou then the comfort-strain,
"It is I; be not afraid."
6 When we feel the end is near,
Passing into death's dark shade,
May the voice be strong and clear,
"It is I; be not afraid."
Amen.
The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895
First Line: | When the dark waves round us roll |
Title: | When the Dark Waves Round Us Roll |
Author: | William Walsham How |
Meter: | 7.7.7.7 |
Language: | English |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
When the wild [dark] waves round us roll. Bishop W. W. How. [St. Peter.] Published in the enlarged edition of Morrell and How's Psalms and Hymns, 1864, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871, Thring's Collection, 1882, and others, it reads, "When the dark waves round us roll." It is a very popular hymn and is found in many collections.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)