Scripture Verse

You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. Matthew 24:6

Introduction

portrait
Charlotte E. Tonna (1790–1846)

Words: Char­lotte E. Ton­na, in The New Ju­bi­lee Harp (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Adv­ent Chris­tian Pub­li­ca­tion Soc­ie­ty, 1888), num­ber 157.

Music: Ab­er­ys­twyth (Par­ry) Jo­seph Par­ry, 1876. First pub­lished in Ed­ward Ste­phens’ Ail Lyfr To­nau ac Emynau, 1879 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Joseph Parry (1841–1903)

Lyrics

When from scat­tered lands afar
Spreads the voice of ru­mored war,
Nations in tu­mul­tu­ous pride
Heave like ocean’s roar­ing tide;
When the so­lar splen­dors fail,
When the cres­cent wax­eth pale;
World! do thou the sig­nal dread,
We ex­alt the droop­ing head.

When the pow­ers that star-like reign
Sink dis­hon­ored to the plain,
We up­lift the ex­pect­ant eye—
Our red­emp­tion draw­eth nigh,
When the fig tree shoots ap­pear,
Men be­hold their sum­mer near;
When the hearts of re­bels fail,
We the com­ing Con­quer­or hail.

Bridegroom of Thy weep­ing spouse,
Listen to her long­ing vows,
Listen to her wi­dowed moan,
Listen to cre­ation’s groan;
Bid, O bid Thy trum­pet sound,
Gather Thine elect around:
Call them from the cheer­less gloom,
Call them from the mar­ble tomb.

From the grass-grown vil­lage grave,
From the deep dis­solv­ing wave,
From the whirl­wind and the flame,
Mighty Head, Thy mem­bers claim.
Where Thy cross in ang­uish stood,
Where Thy life dis­tilled in blood,
Where they mocked Thy dy­ing groan,
King of na­tions, claim Thy throne.