The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity

I saw one weary, sad, and torn

No. 667
Metre L. M. D.
Tune DUANE.
Words Annie R. Smith.
Music George Coles.
Key A major
Singing key G major
Time 4/4
4 stanzas

Words

I saw one weary, sad, and torn,With eager steps press on the way,Who long the hallowed cross had borne,Still looking for the promised day;While many a line of grief and care,Upon his brow was furrowed there:I asked what buoyed his spirits up,"O this!" said he—"the blessed hope."

And one I saw, with sword and shield,Who boldly braved the world's cold frown,And fought, unyielding, on the field,To win an everlasting crown.Though worn with toil, oppressed by foes,No murmur from his heart arose:I asked what buoyed his spirits up,"O this!" said he—"the blessed hope."

And there was one who left behindThe cherished friends of early years,And honor, pleasure, wealth resigned,To tread the path bedewed with tears.Through trials deep and conflicts sore,Yet still a smile of joy he wore:I asked what buoyed his spirits up,"O this!" said he—"the blessed hope."

While pilgrims here we journey onIn this dark vale of sin and gloom,Through tribulation, hate, and scorn,Or through the portals of the tomb,Till our returning King shall comeTo take his exile captives home,O! what can buoy the spirits up?'Tis this alone—the blessed hope.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHRISTIAN—FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.»; hymn number «667» (large), tune name «DUANE. L. M. D.» centred over the music (condensed display capitals, «D.» smaller), «GEORGE COLES.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, with «1.» before «I»: system 1 = verse lines 1–2, system 2 = verse lines 3–4, system 3 = verse lines 5–6; verse lines 7–8 are printed in italics as a second line under system 2, preceded by «D. S.—», and are sung there after the «D, S.» at the end of system 3 (the music returns to the segno before «Who» and ends at «Fine.» after «day;» / «hope."»). Stanza 1 below is assembled in the order sung. «hallowed», «looking», «promised», «furrowed» are set unbroken under the staves; «wea-ry» with a tight hyphen, «ea - ger», «spir - its», «bless - ed», «Up - on» with spaced hyphens. Between the music and stanza 2 the italic reference line «518, 749.» (= the words may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 518 and 749). Stanzas 2–4 follow as text in the left column, numbered «2», «3», «4» without a full stop (numbered «2.» etc. here like stanza 1), with «Annie R. Smith.» in italics after stanza 4. Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print (kept here); lines 5–8 are flush. Stanza 2, line 2 is broken by the column width («…the world's cold» / «frown,») and is joined here as one verse line. The print sets a thin space before «;», «:», «!» and «?» and inside the quotation marks («" O this ! "»); it is closed up here; quotation marks and apostrophes are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. The ink annotation «Annie Smith» beside the hymn number and the wavy ink stroke under the signature belong to the exemplar, not to the print.