A Celebration of Women Writers
This authorised internet edition was published at A Celebration of Women Writers with the permission of the Maxtone Graham family, and the assistance of Joyce Maxtone Graham's son, Robert Maxtone Graham, in 2001.
Preliminary Notes, Robert Maxtone Graham
Hymns from Songs of Praise, Jan Struther
These poems were first published in the enlarged edition of Songs of Praise (Oxford University Press, 1931).
Copyright, the Estate of Jan Struther. The words have been put on the Internet with the permission of the Maxtone Graham family, and the assistance of Joyce Maxtone Graham's son, Robert Maxtone Graham, in 2001. Any request for permission for further publication, and enquiries about copyright to the hymn tunes and arrangements, should be addressed to the Oxford University Press.
By Jan Struther
63. High o'er the lonely hills
162. Round the earth a message runs
163. Sing, all ye Christian people!
219. When Stephen, full of power and grace
223. When Mary brought her treasure
233. Unto Mary, demon-haunted
236. O saint of summer, what can we bring for you?
282. God, whose eternal mind
354. Daisies are our silver
377. When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old
565. Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy
692. We thank you, Lord of Heaven
ADVENT
No. 63. High o'er the lonely hills
Tune: Watchman, by T. H. Ingham.
High o'er the lonely hills
Black turns to grey,
Birdsong the valley fills,
Mists fold away;
Grey wakes to green again,
Beauty is seen again–
Gold and serene again
Dawneth the day.So, o'er the hills of life,
Stormy, forlorn,
Out of the cloud and strife
Sunrise is born;
Swift grows the light for us;
Ended is night for us;
Soundless and bright for us
Breaketh God's morn.Hear we no beat of drums,
Fanfare nor cry,
When Christ the herald comes
Quietly nigh;
Splendour he makes on earth;
Colour awakes on earth;
Suddenly breaks on earth
Light from the sky.Bid then farewell to sleep:
Rise up and run!
What though the hill be steep?
Strength's in the sun.
Now shall you find at last
Night's left behind at last,
And for mankind at last
Day has begun!
EASTER DAY TO ASCENSION DAY
No. 162. Round the earth a message runs
Tune: Victor King (Christus ist Erstanden) German Carol.
Round the earth a message runs:
Awake, awake, you drowsy ones!
Now leaps the sap in every stem
To chant the winter's requiem.
No more of sloth and dullness sing:
Sing love, sing joy, for Christ is King!Round the earth a message runs:
Arise, arise, you doleful ones!
Cast off your chains, you captives all
Who long have lain in sorrow's thrall.
No more of grief and anguish sing:
Sing love, sing joy, for Christ is King!Round the earth a message runs:
For shame, for shame, you brawling ones!
You shall more true adventure find
In friendliness of heart and mind.
No more of hate and envy sing:
Sing love, sing joy, for Christ is King!Round the earth a message runs:
Rejoice, rejoice, you happy ones!
Now fall the gods of wrath and pain,
Now comes your Prince of Joy to reign;
To him your brave allegiance sing:
Sing love, sing joy, for Christ is King!
No. 163. Sing, all ye Christian people!
Tune: Cologne (Christus ist Auferstanden), 1623.
Sing, all ye Christian people!
Swing, bells, in every steeple!
For Christ to life is risen,
Set free from death's dark prison.
With joyfulness, with joyfulness your alleluyas sing,
For Christ has come again to greet the spring.Green now is on the larches;
Springtime in triumph marches,
And every day uncloses
A host of new primroses:
Then daffodils and marybuds let us in garlands bring,
For Christ has come again to greet the spring.Skylarks, the earth forsaking,
Soar to their music-making,
And in the roof-tree's hollow
Now builds the trusting swallow:
So cries to him, so flies to him my soul on fearless wing,
For Christ has come again to greet the spring.
ST. STEPHEN (December 26th)
No. 219. When Stephen, full of power and grace
Tune: Wellington Square, by Guy Warrack.
When Stephen, full of power and grace,
Went forth throughout the land,
He bore no shield before his face,
No weapon in his hand;
But only in his heart a flame
And on his lips a sword
Wherewith he smote and overcame
The foemen of the Lord.When Stephen preached against the laws
And by those laws was tried,
He had no friend to plead his cause,
No spokesman at his side;
But only in his heart a flame
And in his eyes a light
Wherewith God's daybreak to proclaim
And rend the veils of night.When Stephen, young and doomed to die,
Fell crushed beneath the stones,
He had no curse nor vengeful cry
For those who broke his bones;
But only in his heart a flame
And on his lips a prayer
That God, in sweet forgiveness' name
Should understand and spare.Let me, O Lord, thy cause defend,
A knight without a sword;
No shield I ask, no faithful friend,
No vengeance, no reward;
But only in my heart a flame
And in my soul a dream,
So that the stones of earthly shame
A jewelled crown may seem.
THE PRESENTATION (February 2nd)
No. 223. When Mary brought her treasure
Tune: Ave Maria Klare, 1642.
When Mary brought her treasure
Unto the holy place,
No eye of man could measure
The joy upon her face.
He was but six weeks old,
Her plaything and her pleasure,
Her silver and her gold.Then Simeon, on him gazing
With wonder and with love,
His aged voice up-raising
Gave thanks to God above:
'Now welcome sweet release!
For I, my saviour praising,
May die at last in peace.'And she, all sorrow scorning,
Rejoiced in Jesus' fame.
The child her arms adorning
Shone softly like a flame
That burns the long night through,
And keeps from dusk till morning
Its vigil clear and true.As by the sun in splendour
The flags of night are furled,
So darkness shall surrender
To Christ who lights the world:
To Christ the star of day,
Who once was small and tender,
A candle's gentle ray.
ST MARY MAGDALENE (July 22nd)
No. 233. Unto Mary, demon-haunted
Tune: Pisgah, by David Evans.
Unto Mary, demon-haunted,
With unholy dreams distraught,
By her neighbours mocked and taunted,
Christ his healing wisdom brought.
Banish, Lord, our minds' confusion,
Fear and fever drive away;
Down the valleys of illusion
Spread the kindly light of day.Mary then, with faith unswerving,
Shared her saviour's tireless days,
Thankfully her master serving,
Helping him in humble ways.
Grant, O Lord, that we may never
Grow too proud for simple things;
Let us bring to all endeavour
Hands unwearied, heart that sings.Unto her, who saw them sunder
Valiant soul from tortured frame,
First appeared the risen wonder,
First the quickened Jesus came.
Lord, when time from us has taken
Earthly joys and earthly friends,
Let our lonely hearts awaken
To the joy that never ends.
(Editorial note by Reverend Canon Percy Dearmer: Mary Magdalene is not in the Gospels identified with the sinner-woman. See Luke viii. 2.)
ST. BARTHOLOMEW (August 24th)
No. 236. O saint of summer, what can we sing for you?
Tune: Alcaic Ode by M. A. von Lowenstern, 1594-1648.
O saint of summer, what can we sing for you?
How can we praise you, what can we bring for you?
Lost are your words, your deeds are nameless,
Saint without history, mute and fameless.Said you wise sayings? No one has hoarded them.
Worked you great wonders? None has recorded them.
Only your name, time's hand defying,
Shines with the light of your faith undying.So fade the words, so vanish the deeds from us
Of each lost summer, swift as it speeds from us;
We jest, we toil, we weep, but after
Slip from our memories grief and laughter.
MARRIAGE
No. 282. God, whose eternal mind
Tune: Faithful, from a Scottish traditional melody, arranged by Martin Shaw.
God, whose eternal mind
Rules the round world over,
Whose wisdom lies behind
All that men discover:
Grant that we, by thought and speech,
May grow nearer each to each;
Lord, let sweet converse bind
Lover unto lover.
Bless us, God of loving.Godhead in human guise
Once to earth returning
Daily through human eyes
Joys of earth discerning:
Grant that we may treasure less
Passion than true tenderness,
Yet never, Lord, despise
Heart to sweetheart turning.
Bless us, God of loving.God, whose unbounded grace
Heaven and earth pervadeth,
Whose mercy doth embrace
All thy wisdom madeth:
Grant that we may, hand in hand,
All forgive, all understand;
Keeping, through time and space,
Trust that never fadeth.
Bless us, God of loving.God, who art three in One,
All things comprehending,
Wise Father, valiant Son,
In the Spirit blending:
Grant us love's eternal three–
Friendship, rapture, constancy;
Lord, till our lives be done,
Grant us love unending.
Bless us, God of loving.
FOR CHILDREN
No. 354. Daisies are our silver
Tune: Glenfinlas by K. G. Finlay.
Daisies are our silver,
Buttercups our gold:
This is all the treasure
We can have or hold.Raindrops are our diamonds
And the morning dew;
While for shining sapphires
We've the speedwell blue.These shall be our emeralds–
Leaves so new and green;
Roses make the reddest
Rubies ever seen.God, who gave these treasures
To your children small,
Teach us how to love them
And grow like them all.Make us bright as silver:
Make us good as gold;
Warm as summer roses
Let our hearts unfold.Gay as leaves in April,
Clear as drops of dew–
God, who made the speedwell,
Keep us true to you.
No. 377. When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old
Tune: Stowey , from an English traditional melody.
When a knight won his spurs, in the stories of old,
He was gentle and brave, he was gallant and bold;
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand
For God and for valour he rode through the land.No charger have I, and no sword by my side,
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride,
Though back into storyland giants have fled,
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead.Let faith be my shield and let joy be my steed
'Gainst the dragons of anger, the ogres of greed;
And let me set free, with the sword of my youth,
From the castle of darkness the power of the truth.
GENERAL
No. 565. Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy
Tune: Slane, an Irish traditional melody.
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
No. 692. We thank you, Lord of Heaven
Tune: Abendlied (Der Tag mit Seinem Lichte), by J. G. Ebeling, 1637-1676.
We thank you, Lord of Heaven,
For all the joys that greet us,
For all that you have given
To help us and delight us
In earth and sky and seas;
The sunlight on the meadows,
The rainbow's fleeting wonder,
The clouds with cooling shadows,
The stars that shine in splendour–
We thank you, Lord, for these.For swift and gallant horses,
For lambs in pastures springing,
For dogs with friendly faces,
For birds with music thronging
Their chantries in the trees;
For herbs to cool our fever,
For flowers of field and garden,
For bees among the clover
With stolen sweetness laden–
We thank you, Lord, for these.For homely dwelling-places
Where childhood's visions linger,
For friends and kindly voices,
For bread to stay our hunger
And sleep to bring us ease;
For zeal and zest of living,
For faith and understanding,
For words to tell our loving,
For hope of peace unending–
We thank you, Lord, for these.