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Public-domain lyrics

Hymn of the Dunkers

John Greenleaf Whittier

“Hymn of the Dunkers” as printed in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895).

John Greenleaf Whittier: Collected Lyrics Text 56 1895 · historical text
Public domainBalladAmerican song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Wake, sisters, wake! the day-star shines;

Above Ephrata’s eastern pines

The dawn is breaking, cool and calm.

Wake, sisters, wake to prayer and psalm!

Praised be the Lord for shade and light,

For toil by day, for rest by night!

Praised be His name who deigns to bless

Our Kedar of the wilderness!

Our refuge when the spoiler’s hand

Was heavy on our native land;

And freedom, to her children due,

The wolf and vulture only knew.

We praised Him when to prison led,

We owned Him when the stake blazed red;

We knew, whatever might befall,

His love and power were over all.

He heard our prayers; with outstretched arm

He led us forth from cruel harm;

Still, wheresoe’er our steps were bent,

His cloud and fire before us went!

The watch of faith and prayer He set,

We kept it then, we keep it yet.

At midnight, crow of cock, or noon,

He cometh sure, He cometh soon.

He comes to chasten, not destroy,

To purge the earth from sin’s alloy.

At last, at last shall all confess

His mercy as His righteousness.

The dead shall live, the sick be whole,

The scarlet sin be white as wool;

No discord mar below, above,

The music of eternal love!

Sound, welcome trump, the last alarm!

Lord God of hosts, make bare thine arm,

Fulfil this day our long desire,

Make sweet and clean the world with fire!

Sweep, flaming besom, sweep from sight

The lies of time; be swift to smite,

Sharp sword of God, all idols down,

Genevan creed and Roman crown.

Quake, earth, through all thy zones, till all

The fanes of pride and priestcraft fall

And lift thou up in place of them

Thy gates of pearl, Jerusalem.

Lo! rising from baptismal flame,

Transfigured, glorious, yet the same,

Within the heavenly city’s bound

Our Kloster Kedar shall be found.

He cometh soon! at dawn or noon

Or set of sun, He cometh soon.

Our prayers shall meet Him on His way;

Wake, sisters, wake! arise and pray!

Credits

Written by John Greenleaf Whittier

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier. Historical text published in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895), “Hymn of the Dunkers”

Every text in this 1895 collected edition is by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), who died more than 133 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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