The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity

O could our thoughts and wishes fly

No. 669
Metre C. M.
Tune COVENTRY.
Words Anne Steele.
Music English.
Key C major
Singing key B♭ major
Time 3/4
4 stanzas

Words

O could our thoughts and wishes fly,Above these gloomy shades,To those bright worlds beyond the sky,Where sorrow ne'er invades!

There, joys unseen by mortal eyes,Or reason's feeble ray,In ever-blooming prospect rise,Exposed to no decay.

Lord, send a beam of light divine,To guide our upward aim;With one reviving look of thine,Our languid hearts inflame.

O then, on faith's sublimest wing,Our ardent souls shall rise,To those bright scenes where pleasures springImmortal in the skies.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «669» (large), tune name «COVENTRY. C. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «ENGLISH.» at the right in the composer slot (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves: «1. O could our thoughts and wishes fly, A - bove these gloom - y shades,» under system 1 and «To those bright worlds be - yond the sky, Where sor - row ne'er in - vades!» under system 2 («wishes» printed as one word under its three notes; the hyphen of «be-yond» is a small round dot in this copy). The reference line «724, 395, 596.» in italic figures stands centred over stanza 2 (sing also to the tunes of hymns 724, 395 and 596). Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, numbered «2»–«4» without periods (written «2.»–«4.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2 and 4 are indented. In stanza 4 the third line is too long for the column: «spring» is carried to a second, indented printed line; it is one verse line here («To those bright scenes where pleasures spring»). «Anne Steele.» in italics after stanza 4. The print sets a thin space before «!» and «;» («invades !», «aim ;»); it is closed up here. Spelling («ne'er», «ever-blooming»), punctuation and capitals are the print's.