How I Wish I Knew

Little stars that twinkle in the heaven's blue

Author: Mrs. L. M. Beal Bateman
Tune: [Little stars that twinkle in the heaven's blue]
Published in 17 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Little stars that twinkle in the heaven's blue,
I have often wondered if you ever knew,
How there 'rose one like you, leading wise old men
From the East, thro' Judah, down to Bethlehem.

2 Did you see the costly presents they had bro't?
Did you see the stable they in wonder sought?
Did you see the worship tenderly they paid
To that stranger baby in the manger laid?

3 Did you hear the mothers pleading thro' their tears
For the babes that Herod slew the coming years?
Did you see how Joseph, warn'd of God in dreams,
Hurried into Egypt guided by your beams?

4 Did you watch the Saviour all those years of strife?
Did you know, for sinners, how he gave his life?
Little stars that twinkle in the heaven's blue,
All you saw of Jesus how I wish I knew.

Source: Christ in Song: for all religious services nearly one thousand best gospel hymns, new and old with responsive scripture readings (Rev. and Enl.) #253

Author: Mrs. L. M. Beal Bateman

Pseudonym: Grace Glenn; Lucinda M. Beal Bateman lived in Ionia, Michigan. She wrote A book of rhymes to suit the times published about 1886 by N. Chapin & Son (Chicago); Gleams of gold published about 1889, and The prohibition speaker: a collection of readings, recitations, dialogues, tableux and songs for temperance and prohibition entertainments published in 1889 by Filmore Bros. (Cincinnati). She married Zadoc Henry Bateman in 1875. They had one daughter, Grace. Dianne Shapiro, from "A book of rhymes to suit the times" and "The Genealogy of Dennis Bowen Caskey and Michelle Lynn Smith" (caskey-family.com/genhome, retrieved 7-1-2018)  Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Little stars that twinkle in the heaven's blue
Title: How I Wish I Knew
Author: Mrs. L. M. Beal Bateman
Meter: 11.11.11.11
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #11059
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

Instances

Instances (1 - 17 of 17)

Christ in Song #d322

TextPage Scan

Christ in Song #253

Happy Songs for Boys and Girls #d45

Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Bible Schools #d121

Jewels for Little Singers #d34

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Joy and Gladness #126

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Joyful Greeting #93

Popular Hymns No. 3 #d120

Sabbath Songs for Tiny Tots #d37

Sing the Gospel #d46

Songs for the Wee Ones #d45

Page Scan

Songs of Gratitude #48

Page Scan

Songs of Gratitude #48

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #11059

Page Scan

The Gospel in Song #104

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The Gospel Song Sheaf #44a

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The Standard Sunday School Hymnal #314

Exclude 16 pre-1979 instances
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