Waiting for Christ

Time, thou speedest on but slowly

No. 849
Metre 8s & 7s. D.
Words Catharine Wikworth.
Singing key G♭ major
2 stanzas

Sung to AUTUMN (hymn 501)

Words

Time, thou speedest on but slowly;Hours, how tardy is your pace!Ere with him, the high and holy,I hold converse face to face.Here is naught but care and mourningComes a joy, it will not stay;Fairly shines the sun at dawning,Night will soon o'ercloud the day.

Onward then! not long I wanderEre my Saviour comes for me,And with him abiding yonder,All his glory I shall see.O, the music and the singingOf the hosts redeemed by love!O, the hallelujahs ringingThrough the halls of light above!

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «849» (large) in the right column of p. 281, under the end of hymn 848 («Anon.»), with the reference line «501, 503.» in italic figures beside it (sing to the tunes of hymns 501 AUTUMN or 503 NETTLETON, both 8s & 7s. D.; no meter is printed — the eight lines 8.7.8.7.8.7.8.7 are 8s & 7s. D., like the referenced tunes). Two stanzas of eight lines, numbered «1» and «2» without periods (written «1.»–«2.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2, 4, 6 and 8 indented. The first word «TIME» is set in capitals and small capitals; written «Time». «Catharine Wikworth.» in italics, right-aligned after stanza 2 — the print's spelling of the signature (kept as printed). In stanza 2 line 2 a hyphen-shaped stroke follows «my» before a space («Ere my- Saviour comes for me,»); it is transcribed as printed (see uncertainties.md). The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («slowly ;», «pace !», «stay ;», «then !», «love !», «above !»); it is closed up here. «o'ercloud» with a straight apostrophe. Spelling («Saviour», «naught»), punctuation and capitals are the print's (no punctuation after «mourning» in stanza 1 line 5, nor after «singing» in stanza 2 line 5).