Scripture Verse

The Lord…heareth the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29

Introduction

portrait
Henry Timrod (1829–1867)

Words: Hen­ry Tim­rod, 1864. This hymn was writ­ten dur­ing the Am­eri­can ci­vil war, giv­ing spe­cial poign­an­cy to the last verse’s plea for peace.

Music: Bet­tev­er’s Chant Ben­ja­min H. Ev­er­ett, The Sceptre, 1871 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ev­er­ett (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Faint falls the gen­tle voice of pray­er,
In the wild sounds that fill the air,
Yet, Lord, we know that voice is heard,
Not less than if Thy throne it stirred.

Thine ear, Thou ten­der One, is caught,
If we but bend the knee in thought;
No cho­ral song that shakes the sky
Floats far­ther than the Chris­tian’s sigh.

Not all the dark­ness of the land
Can hide the lift­ed eye and hand;
Nor need the clang­ing con­flict cease,
To make Thee hear our cries for peace.