The Cyber Hymnal ‎#12137

12137. My Father Blessed Me

1 My father raised his trembling hand,
And placed it on my head:
"God’s blessing be on thee, my son!"
Most tenderly he said.

2 He died, and left no gems nor gold,
But still was I his heir—
For that rich blessing which he gave
Became a fortune rare.

3 And in my day of weary toil
To earn my daily bread,
It gladdens me in thought to feel
His hand upon my head.

4 Though infant tongues to me have said
"Dear father!" oft since then,
Yet when I bring that scene to mind,
I’m but a child again.

Text Information

• First Line: My father raised his trembling hand
• Title: My Father Blessed Me
• Author: Thomas MacKellar
• Meter: CM
• Language: English
• Source: Droppings from the Heart (Philadelphia: Sorin & Ball, 1844)
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: ARLINGTON
• Composer: Thomas Augustine Arne (1762)
• Arranger: Ralph Harrison
• Meter: CM
• Key: F Major or modal
• Source: Minuet in the overture to Thomas Arne's opera Artaxerxes, 1762; Arr.: Sacred Harmony–A Collection of Psalmtunes, Ancient and Modern (London: 1784)
• Copyright: Public Domain