Traditional: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

When Morning Gilds the Skies

Traditional

“When Morning Gilds the Skies” as printed in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920).

Traditional: Collected Lyrics Text 371 1920 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Army and Navy Hymnal, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

1 When morning gilds the skies,

My heart awaking cries,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Alike at work and prayer,

To Jesus I repair;

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Verse 2

2 Whene'er the sweet church bell

Peals over hill and dell

May Jesus Christ be praised!

O hark to what it sings,

As joyously it rings,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Verse 3

3 The night becomes as day,

When from the heart we say,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

The powers of darkness fear,

When this sweet chant they hear,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Verse 4

4 In heaven's eternal bliss

The loveliest strain is this,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let earth, and sea, and sky,

From depth to height reply,

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Verse 5

5 Be this, while life is mine,

My canticle divine,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this th' eternal song.

Through all the ages long,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Amen.

Credits

Written by Traditional

Traditional words. Historical text published in The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920), “When Morning Gilds the Skies”

The 1920 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; traditional and anonymous entries are public domain. Pages whose scan quality is below the proofread threshold are held for review.

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 2026-10-26. 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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