Scripture Verse

You crown the year with Your good gifts…The fields of the desert are filled with water, and the hills dress themselves with joy. Psalm 65:11–13

Introduction

portrait
John B. Dykes (1823–1876)

Words: Hen­ry F. Lyte, Spir­it of the Psalms. This text ap­peared in the 4th edi­tion (Lon­don: Riv­ing­ton, Hatch­ard, See­ley & Nis­bet, 1836), page 95.

Music: Be­ati­tu­do John B. Dykes, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Henry F. Lyte (1793–1847)

Lyrics

illustration
Winter Yields to Spring

God of the sea­sons, come again
To bless the circ­ling year!
Give us clear shin­ing af­ter rain,
And bid the spring ap­pear!

Breathe on this fall­en world of ours,
And wake it in­to life;
And send us ge­ni­al suns and show­ers,
For win­ter’s stor­my strife.

’Tis Thine to rear the ten­der crop,
The wan­der­ing flocks to feed;
And plen­te­ous in Thy foot­steps drop
Supplies for ev­ery need.

The year is with Thy good­ness crowned,
The val­leys laugh and sing,
The lit­tle hills re­joice around,
And earth ad­ores her king.

God of the year, while thus the rest
Thy ge­ni­al in­flu­ence share,
Shine into ev­ery win­try breast,
And make a spring-tide there.