Scripture Verse

When I awake, I am still with Thee. Psalm 139:18

Introduction

portrait
Louis F. Benson (1855–1930)

Words: Lou­is F. Ben­son, 1897. Ben­son wrote this hymn at Bar Har­bor, Maine, Ju­ly 7, 1897, and gave it to his sis­ter as a greet­ing for her birth­day.

Music: Ca­ra Uz­zi­ah C. Bur­nap, 1898 (🔊 pdf nwc). Bur­nap com­posed the tune for these words while serv­ing as or­gan­ist at the Re­formed Church on the Heights, Brook­lyn, New York.

portrait
Uzziah C. Burnap (1834–1900)

Lyrics

When I awake from slum­ber
To greet the gold­en day,
Then teach me, Lord, to num­ber
Its hours in wis­dom’s way.

When clouds at dawn are gleam­ing,
Lift up mine an­swer­ing eyes
To where Thy light is stream­ing
On faith’s high en­te­rprise.

While all the heights are call­ing
And skies are blithe and blue,
Keep Thou my feet from fall­ing,
My heart’s am­bi­tions true.

Let sim­ple plea­sures cheer me
When ev­ery goal seems far;
Reveal Thy­self as near me
As life and du­ty are.

And when the light is fad­ing,
If dreams have not come true,
Yet breathe Thy peace per­vad­ing
The twi­light through and through.

When life’s long day is end­ed
And sha­dows clos­er creep,
Lord, let me feel be­friend­ed
Before I go to sleep.