Scripture Verse

I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

Introduction

portrait
Thomas Moore (1779–1852)

Words: Tho­mas Moore, Sac­red Songs 1816.

Music: Con­so­la­tor Sam­uel Webbe, Sr., Col­lect­ion of Mo­tetts or An­ti­phons (Lon­don: 1792) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Samuel Webbe (1740–1816)

Lyrics

This ver­sion of the lyr­ics, found in mo­dern hym­nals, in­cludes chang­es by Tho­mas Hast­ings in his Spir­it­ual Songs for So­cial Wor­ship, 1831.

Come, ye dis­con­sol­ate, wher­e’er ye lang­uish,
Come to the mer­cy seat, fer­vent­ly kneel.
Here bring your wound­ed hearts, here tell your ang­uish;
Earth has no sor­row that Heav’n can­not heal.

Joy of the de­so­late, light of the stray­ing,
Hope of the pe­ni­tent, fade­less and pure!
Here speaks the Com­fort­er, ten­der­ly say­ing,
Earth has no sor­row that Heav’n can­not cure.

Here see the Bread of Life, see wa­ters flow­ing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from ab­ove.
Come to the feast of love; come, ev­er know­ing
Earth has no sor­row but Heav’n can re­move.

Moore’s orig­in­al ver­sion:

Come, ye dis­con­so­late, where’er ye lang­uish,
Come, at the shrine of God fer­vent­ly kneel;
Here bring your wound­ed hearts; here tell your ang­uish;
Earth has no sor­row that Hea­ven can­not heal.

Joy of the de­so­late, light of the stray­ing,
Hope when all oth­ers die, fade­less and pure;
Here speaks the Com­fort­er, in God’s name say­ing,
Earth has no sor­row that Hea­ven can­not cure.

Come, ask the in­fi­del what boon he brings us,
What charm for ach­ing hearts he can re­veal,
Sweet is that hea­ven­ly pro­mise Hope sings us—
Earth has no sor­row that God can­not heal.