Sing along with Free Home's a capella version of the hymn How Great Thou Art.
Lyrics of "How Great Thou Art", Home Free version. The Home Free version replaced verse 3 of the hymn with a bridge.
Verse 1:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Verse 2:
When through the world and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Bridge:
It is wealth with my soul
It is wealth, it is wealth with my soul.
Verse 3:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Refrain: Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Coda:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Excerpts from the original poem by Boberg follows.
När tryckt av synd och skuld jag faller neder,
Vid Herrens fot och ber om nåd och frid.
Och han min själ på rätta vägen leder,
Och frälsar mig från all min synd och strid.
When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance,
Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face;
And then in love He brings me sweet assurance:
'My child! for thee sufficient is my grace'.
När jag hör dårar i sin dårskaps dimma
Förneka Gud och håna hvad han sagt,
Men ser likväl, att de hans hjälp förnimma
Och uppehållas af hans nåd och makt.
O when I see ungrateful man defiling
This bounteous earth, God's gifts so good and great;
In foolish pride, God's holy Name reviling,
And yet, in grace, His wrath and judgment wait.
1886. First publication of the poem.
1890. The poem was adapted to a Swedish folk song.
1891. Sanningsvittnet, songbook by the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, published the words and music of "O Store Gud."
1925. E. Gustav Johnson translated the "O Store Gud" in English with the title "O Mighty God."
1931. Stuart K. Hine composed an English version of the song based on the Russian translation with the title "How Great Thou Art." He also added verses to the song, one of which is now verse 3 of the popularly current version.
1949. Hine published "How Great Thou Art", composed of 4 verses.
1955. Manna Music released the song, changing the original words "works" and "mighty" to "worlds" and "rolling" respectively. This is the most common version that we know today.
Verse 1:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
1973. E. Gustav Johnson's English version of the song appeared in the 1973 edition of The Covenant Hymnbook.
O mighty God, when I behold the wonder
Of nature’s beauty, wrought by words of thine,
And how thou leadest all from realms up yonder,
Sustaining earthly life with love benign,
Refrain:
With rapture filled, my soul thy name would laud,
O mighty God! O mighty God!
When I behold the heavens in their vastness,
Where golden ships in azure issue forth,
Where sun and moon keep watch upon the fastness
Of changing seasons and of time on earth.
When crushed by guilt of sin before thee kneeling,
I plead for mercy and for grace and peace,
I feel thy balm and, all my bruises healing,
My soul is filled, my heart is set at ease.
And when at last the mists of time have vanished
And I in truth my faith confirmed shall see,
Upon the shores where earthly ills are banished
I’ll enter Lord, to dwell in peace with thee.
Let me try to translate the song the best I can, not musically, but rather more poetic.
Verse 1: O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Kamangha-mangha, gawa mo O Panginoon
Sa pagmamasid lamang ng iyong nilikha
Sa di-mabilang na bituin, kumulog man o umaraw
'Di maarok taglay mong kapangyarihan.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Dakila ang Iyong sining na likha
Handog ko'y himig, para sa Iyo, O Diyos!
Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Sa tuwing maririnig ko, huni ng mga ibon
Luntiang kahuyan, kinulayan ng sikat ng araw
Mula sa rurok ng bundok
Lagaslas ng tubig tila'y isang himig.
Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Tulad ng Iyong anak na Siya ring sanlikha
Bagama't inihandog upang bawian ng buhay
Tagumpay Niya sa krus
Kaligtasan, kalinisan, kahabagan
Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Sa muling pagbabalik Mo, O Kristong Panginoon
Akayin mo ako saan man dalhin ng inyong puso
'Di ako magmamaliw, pananampalataya ko'y isisigaw —
O Diyos ko, dakila ang Iyong likha!
Lyrics of "How Great Thou Art", Home Free version. The Home Free version replaced verse 3 of the hymn with a bridge.
Verse 1:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hand hath made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Verse 2:
When through the world and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Bridge:
It is wealth with my soul
It is wealth, it is wealth with my soul.
Verse 3:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!
Refrain: Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Coda:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Who Wrote "How Great Thou Art?"
1885. "How Great Thou Art" is based on the poem O Store Gud (O Great God) written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859-1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885. Boberg wrote the poem with Psalm 8 in mind. It contains nine verses. Fascinated by the beauty and wonder of nature he had observed on that day, Boberg was inspired to write the poem."It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon there was thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared. "When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of 'When eternity's clock calls my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.' That evening, I wrote the song, 'O Store Gud.'" ~ Source: Wikipedia
Excerpts from the original poem by Boberg follows.
När tryckt av synd och skuld jag faller neder,
Vid Herrens fot och ber om nåd och frid.
Och han min själ på rätta vägen leder,
Och frälsar mig från all min synd och strid.
When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance,
Bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face;
And then in love He brings me sweet assurance:
'My child! for thee sufficient is my grace'.
När jag hör dårar i sin dårskaps dimma
Förneka Gud och håna hvad han sagt,
Men ser likväl, att de hans hjälp förnimma
Och uppehållas af hans nåd och makt.
O when I see ungrateful man defiling
This bounteous earth, God's gifts so good and great;
In foolish pride, God's holy Name reviling,
And yet, in grace, His wrath and judgment wait.
1886. First publication of the poem.
1890. The poem was adapted to a Swedish folk song.
1891. Sanningsvittnet, songbook by the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden, published the words and music of "O Store Gud."
1925. E. Gustav Johnson translated the "O Store Gud" in English with the title "O Mighty God."
1931. Stuart K. Hine composed an English version of the song based on the Russian translation with the title "How Great Thou Art." He also added verses to the song, one of which is now verse 3 of the popularly current version.
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,1948. Inspired by the exiled Polish community in Britain who wanted to go home in their country, Hine wrote another verse for the song which is now verse 4 of the current popular version.
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
1949. Hine published "How Great Thou Art", composed of 4 verses.
1955. Manna Music released the song, changing the original words "works" and "mighty" to "worlds" and "rolling" respectively. This is the most common version that we know today.
Verse 1:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
1973. E. Gustav Johnson's English version of the song appeared in the 1973 edition of The Covenant Hymnbook.
O mighty God, when I behold the wonder
Of nature’s beauty, wrought by words of thine,
And how thou leadest all from realms up yonder,
Sustaining earthly life with love benign,
Refrain:
With rapture filled, my soul thy name would laud,
O mighty God! O mighty God!
When I behold the heavens in their vastness,
Where golden ships in azure issue forth,
Where sun and moon keep watch upon the fastness
Of changing seasons and of time on earth.
When crushed by guilt of sin before thee kneeling,
I plead for mercy and for grace and peace,
I feel thy balm and, all my bruises healing,
My soul is filled, my heart is set at ease.
And when at last the mists of time have vanished
And I in truth my faith confirmed shall see,
Upon the shores where earthly ills are banished
I’ll enter Lord, to dwell in peace with thee.
Tagalog Translation
An effective Tagalog translation of the song or the poem cannot be achieved verbatim, not even line by line. One has to understand in full context the thought or the message of the song. The first two verses of the song expresses Boberg's great appreciation and wonderment to God's incredible and beautiful creation. The 2nd and 3rd verses of the song, which are by Hine, express a different experience which are more spiritual edifying in tone. It seems like that the two parts of the song are not coherent.Let me try to translate the song the best I can, not musically, but rather more poetic.
Verse 1: O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Kamangha-mangha, gawa mo O Panginoon
Sa pagmamasid lamang ng iyong nilikha
Sa di-mabilang na bituin, kumulog man o umaraw
'Di maarok taglay mong kapangyarihan.
Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Dakila ang Iyong sining na likha
Handog ko'y himig, para sa Iyo, O Diyos!
Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Sa tuwing maririnig ko, huni ng mga ibon
Luntiang kahuyan, kinulayan ng sikat ng araw
Mula sa rurok ng bundok
Lagaslas ng tubig tila'y isang himig.
Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Tulad ng Iyong anak na Siya ring sanlikha
Bagama't inihandog upang bawian ng buhay
Tagumpay Niya sa krus
Kaligtasan, kalinisan, kahabagan
Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Sa muling pagbabalik Mo, O Kristong Panginoon
Akayin mo ako saan man dalhin ng inyong puso
'Di ako magmamaliw, pananampalataya ko'y isisigaw —
O Diyos ko, dakila ang Iyong likha!
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