The Cyber Hymnal ‎#5097

5097. O Light, Whose Beams Illumine All

1. O Light, whose beams illumine all
From twilight dawn to perfect day,
Shine Thou before the shadows fall
That lead our wandering feet astray;
At morn and eve Thy radiance pour
That youth may love, and age adore.

2. O Way, through whom our souls draw near
To yon eternal home of peace,
Where perfect love shall cast our fear,
And earth’s vain toil and wandering cease;
In strength or weakness may we see
Our heavenward path, O Lord, through Thee.

3. O Truth, before whose shrine we bow,
Thou priceless Pearl for all who seek,
To Thee our earliest strength we vow,
Thy love will bless the pure and meek;
When dreams or mists beguile our sight,
Turn Thou our darkness into light.

4. O Life, the well that ever flows
To slake the thirst of those that faint,
Thy power to bless what seraph knows?
Thy joy supreme what words can paint?
In earth’s last hour of fleeting breath
Be Thou our Conqueror over death.

5. O Light, O Way, O Truth, O Life,
O Jesus, born mankind to save,
Give Thou Thy peace in deadliest strife,
Shed Thou Thy calm on stormiest wave;
Be Thou our hope, our joy, our dread,
Lord of the living and the dead.

Text Information

• First Line: O Light, whose beams illumine all
• Title: O Light, Whose Beams Illumine All
• Author: Edward H. Plumptre (1864)
• Meter: 88.88.88
• Language: English
• Source: The Way, the Truth, and the Life, 1864
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Alternate tunes: BICKLEY, William H. Monk, 1875; EATON (WYVILL), Zerubbabel Wyvill, Two Hymns and Two Dismissions for The General Thanksgiving, June 1, 1802; STELLA (HEMY), variously described as a traditional English melody, or attributed to Henri F. Hemy

Tune Information

• Name: ST. PETERSBURG
• Composer (attributed to): Dimitri Stepanovich Bortniansky (1825)
• Meter: 88.88.88
• Incipit: 53451 21715 61653
• Key: C Major
• Copyright: Public Domain