The Church — Dedication

O bow thine ear, Eternal One

No. 1132
Metre L. M.
Tune SAMSON.
Words Anon.
Music George F. Handel.
Key E-flat major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 4/4
4 stanzas

Words

O bow thine ear, Eternal One!On thee each heart adoring calls;To thee the followers of thy SonHave raised, and now devote, these walls.

Here let thy holy days be kept;And be this place to worship given,Like that bright spot where Jacob slept,The house of God, the gate of heaven.

Here may thine honor dwell; and hereAs incense, let thy children's prayer,From contrite hearts and lips sincere,Rise on the still and holy air.

Here be thy praise devoutly sung,Here let thy truth beam forth to saveAs when of old thy Spirit hungOn wings of light o'er Jordan's wave.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHURCH—DEDICATION.»; hymn number «1132» (large), tune name «SAMSON. L. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «GEORGE F. HANDEL.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, between the staves, one line per system, with «1.» before «O»; there «devote,» is set as one unhyphenated word under the last two notes of the line's third bar (sung «de-» / «-vote,»). Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, under the italic reference line «223, 256, 932.» (= the same words may also be sung to the tunes of hymns 223, 256 or 932), numbered «2»–«4» without a full stop (numbered «2.»–«4.» here like stanza 1), with «Anon.» in italics after stanza 4. Lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented in the print. The printer's thin space before «!» and «;» («One !», «calls ;», «kept ;», «dwell ;») is closed up here; apostrophes are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.