Scripture Verse

I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry. Jeremiah 4:19

Introduction

Words: Theo­dore C. Will­iams, 1902. Ap­peared in The Ab­ing­don Hym­nal, ed­it­ed by Earl En­yeart Harp­er (New York: Ab­ing­don Press, 1928), num­ber 86.

Music: Pa­no­ply of Light Le­on­ard M. Park­er, in Heart and Voice, by Charles W. Wendte (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: George H. El­lis, 1910) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Theodore Williams
(1855–1915)

Lyrics

Hast thou heard it, O my bro­ther?
Hast thou heard the trum­pet sound?
Loudly call­ing each the oth­er,
Warrior hosts thy life sur­round.
Hark, the tides of bat­tle roll­ing,
Fill the wide world like a sea,
Starry pow’rs, the tides con­troll­ing,
Lift up faith­ful hearts and free.

Refrain

Gird thee, gird thee, O my bro­ther,
We will march in close ar­ray,
Trusting God and in each oth­er,
We are child­ren of the day.

Brave hearts thro’ the mid­night sing­ing,
Doubting not the morn­ing star,
Lo, the dawn breaks o’er them, bring­ing,
Signs of tri­umph from afar;
Scorning fear, the dark­ness scorning,
While thy brow of youth is bright,
Set thy fore­head to the morn­ing,
Wear thy pa­no­ply of light.

Refrain

O the an­cient earth is call­ing
For such life as thine may be.
Ages gone were stumb­ling, fall­ing,
Toward the light thine eyes shall see.
Tho’ the old, he­ro­ic sto­ry
Glow with no­ble deed sub­lime,
There shall be a great­er glo­ry
In the com­ing gold­en time.

Refrain