Scripture Verse

I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation. Psalm 78:2–4

Introduction

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Felice de Giardini (1716–1796)
National Portrait Gallerybutton

Words: John Pier­pont, 1830. This is part two of a hymn be­gin­ning Break Forth in Song, Ye Trees, writ­ten for the se­cond cen­ten­ni­al ce­le­bra­tion of the set­tle­ment of Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts, Sep­tem­ber 17, 1830. It ap­peared in Pier­pont’s 1840 Po­ems and Hymns.

Music: Ita­li­an Hymn Fe­li­ce de Gi­ar­di­ni, in The Col­lect­ion of Psalm and Hymn Tunes Sung at the Cha­pel of the Lock Hos­pi­tal, 1769 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
John Pierpont (1785–1866)

Lyrics

Gone are those great and good
Who here, in per­il, stood,
And raised their hymn.
Peace to the rev­er­end dead!
The light that on their head
The pass­ing years have shed
Shall ne’er grow dim.

Ye tem­ples, that to God
Rise where our fa­thers trod,
Guard well your trust—
The faith that dared the sea,
The truth that made them free,
Their cher­ished pu­ri­ty,
Their gar­nered dust.

Thou high and ho­ly One,
Whose care for sire and son
All na­ture fills—
While day shall break and close,
While night her cres­cent shows,
O let Thy light re­pose,
On these our hills.