Waiting for Christ

On the mountain's top appearing

No. 857
Metre 8s & 7s. 6l.
Tune TAMWORTH.
Words Thomas Kelly.
Music Charles Lockhart.
Key E major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 3/4
3 stanzas

Words

On the mountain's top appearing,Lo! the sacred herald stands,Welcome news to Zion bearing—Zion long in hostile lands:Mourning captive! Mourning captive!God himself shall loose thy bands.

Has thy night been long and mournful?Have thy friends unfaithful proved?Have thy foes been proud and scornful?By thy sighs and tears unmoved?Cease thy mourning;Zion still is well beloved.

God, thy God, will now restore thee;He himself appears thy Friend;All thy foes shall flee before thee;Here their boasts and triumphs end:Great deliveranceZion's King will surely send.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «WAITING FOR CHRIST—CLOSING WORK.»; hymn number «857» (large), tune name «TAMWORTH. 8s & 7s. 6L.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «CHARLES LOCKHART.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear: under system 1, which ends with an end-repeat sign, two lines in braces with «1.» before them, «{ On the mountain's top ap - pear - ing, Lo! the sa - cred her - ald stands, / Wel-come news to Zi - on bear - ing—Zi - on long in hos - tile lands: }» (first and second time); under system 2 one line, «Mourn - ing cap - tive! Mourn-ing cap - tive! God him - self shall loose thy bands.», where the four-syllable fifth line is set twice. «mountain's» is printed unbroken under two notes. The reference line «854, 844.» (italic figures) stands under the music, above stanza 2. Stanzas 2–3 follow as text in the left column, numbered «2», «3» without a full stop (numbered «2.» etc. here like stanza 1), with «Thomas Kelly.» in italics after stanza 3; lines 2, 4 and 6 of each stanza are indented and line 5 more. Stanza 1 is set here in the same pattern, its fifth line as printed under the staves («Mourning captive! Mourning captive!»). The stanza «4 With that "blessed hope" before us,» at the top of the right column belongs to hymn 858, not to this hymn. The print sets a thin space before «?», «;», «:» and «!» («mournful ?», «thee ;», «end :», «Lo !»); it is closed up here. The apostrophes («mountain's», «Zion's») are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.