The shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Jeremiah 6:4
Words: Godfrey Thring, 1864.
Music: Radiant Morn Charles F. Gounod, 1872 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tunes:
If you know where to get a good photo of Thring (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
The hymn…was composed as an ‘afternoon’ hymn, as in most of the country parishes in that part of Somersetshire in which I lived, the second service was nearly always held in the afternoon, and not in the evening, whilst all the hymns in the hymn books in common use were for the late evening or night. I wrote The radiant morn hath pass’d away to supply this want.
Several of my hymns were written in consequence of some want of this kind, felt either by myself or others; but most of them, I think, though I have never made any calculations, arose almost spontaneously from thoughts that happened to be running in my mind at the time.
Godfrey Thring
The radiant morn hath passed away,
And spent too soon her golden store;
The shadows of departing day
Creep on once more.
Our life is but an autumn sun,
Its glorious noon how quickly past!
Lead us, O Christ, our life work done,
Safe home at last.
O by Thy soul inspiring grace
Uplift our hearts to realms on high;
Help us to look to that bright place
Beyond the sky.
Where light, and life, and joy, and peace
In undivided empire reign,
And thronging angels never cease
Their deathless strain.
Where saints are clothed in spotless white,
And evening shadows never fall;
Where Thou, eternal Light of light,
Art Lord of all.