Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee Hymn Story and Lyrics

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee Lyrics

Henry Van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

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Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee Hymn Story

This hymn is from a poem by Henry Van Dyke. He wrote it in 1907 while ministering at Williams College as a guest speaker.

It was intended to be a musical setting to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s final symphony, Symphony no. 9.

Van Dyke told his host at Williams College, college president Harry Augustus Garfield that he was inspired by the local Berkshire Mountains in writing this song.

He said that this hymn was an expression of Christian feeling and desires that the thought of the age and truth of science will never destroy the kingdom of heaven.

Henry Van Dyke was born on November, 11,1852 in Pennsylvania in the US. He taught English literature at Princeton between 1899 and 1923.

His other works in the form of stories and novels include:

The Other Wise Man (1896)
The First Christmas Tree (1897)
Little Rivers (1895)
Fisherman’s Luck (1899)
The Blue Flower (1902)
The Whole Family (1908 -Collaborator)

His famous quote is, “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love — time is eternity”

Henry Van Dyke - Joyful Joyful we adore thee hymn
Henry Van Dyke

For more links to hymn stories and lyrics visit here.

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee Hymn Video

Michael W Smith singing his version of this song.

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