Scripture Verse

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. Psalm 147:16

Introduction

portrait
Frances W. Wile (1878–1939)

Words: Fran­ces W. Wile, about 1907 (Foote, p. 239). She wrote the hymn at the re­quest of her friend Will­iam Gan­nett, who was help­ing com­pile a hym­nal and want­ed a win­ter hymn.

Music: For­est Green Eng­lish me­lo­dy, ar­ranged by Ralph Vaugh­an Will­iams, 1906 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Lyrics

All beau­ti­ful the march of days,
As sea­sons come and go;
The Hand that shaped the rose hath wrought
The crys­tal of the snow;
Hath sent the hoa­ry frost of Heav’n,
The flow­ing wa­ters sealed,
And laid a si­lent love­li­ness
On hill and wood and field.

O’er white ex­pans­es spark­ling pure
The ra­di­ant morns un­fold;
The so­lemn splen­dors of the night
Burn bright­er than the cold;
Life mounts in ev­ery throb­bing vein,
Love deep­ens round the hearth,
And clear­er sounds the an­gel hymn,
Good will to men on earth.

O Thou from whose un­fa­thomed law
The year in beau­ty flows,
Thyself the vi­sion pass­ing by
In crys­tal and in rose,
Day un­to day doth ut­ter speech,
And night to night pro­claim,
In ev­er chang­ing words of light,
The won­der of Thy name.

illustration
Hush of Winter
Willard L. Metcalf (1858–1925)