Watchman, Tell Us of the Night

Representative Text

1 Watchman, tell us of the night,
what its signs of promise are.
Traveler, what a wondrous sight:
see that glory-beaming star.
Watchman, does its beauteous ray
news of joy or hope foretell?
Traveler, yes; it brings the day,
promised day of Israel.

2 Watchman, tell us of the night;
higher yet that star ascends.
Traveler, blessedness and light,
peace and truth its course portends.
Watchman, will its beams alone
gild the spot that gave them birth?
Traveler, ages are its own;
see, it bursts o’er all the earth.

3 Watchman, tell us of the night,
for the morning seems to dawn.
Traveler, shadows take their flight;
doubt and terror are withdrawn.
Watchman, you may go your way;
hasten to your quiet home.
Traveler, we rejoice today,
for Emmanuel has come!


Source: Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal #97

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Author: John Bowring

James Bowring was born at Exeter, in 1792. He possessed at an early age a remarkable power of attaining languages, and acquired some reputation by his metrical translations of foreign poems. He became editor of "The Westminster Review" in 1825, and was elected to Parliament in 1835. In 1849, he was appointed Consul at Canton, and in 1854, was made Governor of Hong Kong, and received the honour of knighthood. He is the author of some important works on politics and travel, and is the recipient of several testimonials from foreign governments and societies. His poems and hymns have also added to his reputation. His "Matins and Vespers" have passed through many editions. In religion he is a Unitarian. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charl… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Related Texts

First Line: Watchman! tell us of the night
Title: Watchman, Tell Us of the Night
Author: John Bowring (1825)
Meter: 7.7.7.7 D
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Traveler, yes, it brings the day
Copyright: Public Domain
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Notes

Watchman! tell us of the night. Sir J. Bowring. [Advent.] First published in his Hymns, 1825, No. 59, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines. It is found in several modern hymnals, including Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, &c.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

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Tune

WATCHMAN (Mason)


ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR (Elvey)

George J. Elvey (PHH 48) composed ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR as a setting for James Montgomery's text "Hark! The Song of Jubilee," with which it was published in Edward H. Thorne's Selection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1858). The tune has been associated with Alford's text since publication of the hymn in th…

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The Cyber Hymnal #7125
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Instances

Instances (1 - 13 of 13)
Text InfoTune InfoTextFlexScoreAudioPage Scan

Glory to God #97

Glory to God #97

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #181

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #181
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Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #704

Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #704
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Rejoice in the Lord #168

Rejoice in the Lord #168
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Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #592

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #592

Songs of Faith and Praise #751

Songs of Faith and Praise #751

The Baptist Hymnal #659

The Baptist Hymnal #659
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The Cyber Hymnal #7125

The Cyber Hymnal #7125
TextPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #640

The Hymnal 1982 #640
TextPage Scan

The New Century Hymnal #103

The New Century Hymnal #103

The New Harp of Columbia, Restored Edition #29t

The New Harp of Columbia, Restored Edition #29t
TextPage Scan

The Presbyterian Hymnal #20

The Presbyterian Hymnal #20
TextAudioPage Scan

Worship in Song #58

Worship in Song #58
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