Waiting for Christ

Break, break, eternal day

No. 819
Metre 6s & 4s.
Tune AMERICA.
Words Anon.
Music Henry Carey.
Key F major
Time 3/4
3 stanzas

Words

Break, break, eternal day,Bid darkness flee away;Pour on our sight,Light from the world of joy,Bliss pure without alloy;Then ne'er shall gloom annoy;All shall be bright.

Rise, rise, thou glorious sun,Hasten thy race to run;At God's command,Extend thy healing wings;Open joy's long-sealed springs;Reign, O thou King of kings,In this dark land!

Come, come, thou conquering One,Reign thou upon thy throne,In glory bright;Then shall the ransomed raise,Unceasing songs of praise,Throughout eternal days,In realms of light.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «819» (large), tune name «AMERICA. 6s & 4s.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «HENRY CAREY.» at the right in the composer slot (capitals and small capitals); running head «WAITING FOR CHRIST—CLOSING WORK.». Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «Break,»: «1. Break, break, e - ter - nal day, Bid dark- ness flee away; Pour on our sight, Light from the» / «world of joy, Bliss pure without alloy; Then ne'er shall gloom annoy; All shall be bright.» («away», «without», «alloy», «annoy» set as whole words under their notes). No reference line (the tune is printed here with its own music). Stanzas 2–3 are printed as text in two columns below the music, numbered «2» and «3» without periods (written «2.», «3.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 3 and 7 of each stanza are indented (the 6s & 4s form, 6.6.4.6.6.6.4); stanza 1 is laid out the same way here. «Anon.» in italics after stanza 3. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («run ;», «wings;», «land !», «bright ;»); it is closed up here. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.