I featured this one last year but heard it this morning on a mix CD while driving to my eye doctor appointment. (My vision is improved, BTW.) I love it because it’s an interesting tune (it’s Welsh — no surprise there) and the words are lovely.

The words (with a third verse I have never heard sung):

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall??Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.
(HT: Net Hymnal)

Both Michael Card and Fernando Ortega cover it but I prefer the recording by Michael Card from his album Starkindler because he takes it at a decent clip and pairs it with some Celtic jig music.

I first sang this in a chapel service at Trinity Lutheran Seminary. It’s another Fanny Crosby hymn with a tune by W. How?ard Doane. It’s mentioned as a possible hymn for this Sunday in Year C on the Episcopal hymn site and as the Episcopalians are as finicky as I am about using the A-word/H-word during Lent, I’ll go with it.

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.
(HT: Net Hymnal)

I’m glad I found a good version of it on YouTube — I thought I would have to search through a bunch of icky ones before I found one that wasn’t stupid-sounding.

This particular hymn is also known as “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah” but as Jehovah isn’t an actual word, a number of hymnals have it as “Guide me, O thou great redeemer” instead. It’s the hymn that most think of when they think of Wales (at least in my experience) and Net Hymnal has the words in Welsh.

Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield;
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.

Lord, I trust Thy mighty power,
Wondrous are Thy works of old;
Thou deliver??st Thine from thralldom,
Who for naught themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer,
Sin, and Satan and the grave,
Sin, and Satan and the grave.

When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of deaths, and hell??s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan??s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav??nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

The tune is “Cwm Rhondda” and I’m borrowing the video that Unapologetically Episcopalian posted earlier.

I learned the tune before I learned this hymn. The first time I sang it was with my cousin Erik on Christmas night of 1996. Erik had a really turbulent life and that Christmas was the first time I had seen him in 4 years. In that span of time, he got religion and he and I were sitting in the living room singing while he played guitar. He died in June of 2011 and it’s one of my happy memories of him.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o??er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o??er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
??Tis an ocean full of blessing, ??tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ??tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
(HT: Net Hymnal)

The group Selah did a recording of the song (which is the most popular result if you do a search on YouTube) but I prefer congregational singing. In this particular video, it’s the Moody Men’s Choir singing as part of a worship service and I love the deep voices of the men which are slightly audible over the congregation’s singing.

Confession: I learned this hymn from Sister Act.

Despite this, I actually like it in its traditional sung form, both Latin and English. 🙂

The Latin words:

Salve Regina coelitum, O Maria!
Sors unica terrigenum, O Maria!

Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.

Mater misericordiae, O Maria!
Dulcis parens clementiae, O Maria!

Jubilate, Cherubim,
Exsultate, Seraphim!
Consonante perpetim:
Salve, Salve, Salve Regina.
(HT: AveMariaSongs.Org)

Here is Beth Nielsen Chapman’s lovely and reverent version:

Here is the version from Sister Act sung by a female acapella group at Brown University:

We used to sing this in Intervarsity. It was written by John Foley S.J. and singing it at Celebration (now called Kairos) is one of my good memories. I love the minor key and the simplicity of it.

Refrain: The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Blessed be the Lord.

Verses
1. I will bless the Lord at all times,
his praise ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the Lord,
who will hear the cry of the poor.

2. Let the lowly hear and be glad,
the Lord listens to their pleas;
and to hearts broken God is near,
who will hear the cry of the poor.

3. Ev??ry spirit crushed, God will save;
will be ransom for their lives;
will be safe shelter for their fears,
and will hear the cry of the poor.

4. We proclaim your greatness, oh God,
your praise ever in our mouth;
every face brightened in your light,
for you hear the cry of the poor.
(HT: DragonMommie’s World)

The recording of the song that I own is by John Michael Talbot so I searched for one by him. I found one by the Brothers of St. Gabriel in Malaysia and Singapore that I like better though.