How Great Thou Art (hymn) Totally Explained

Everything about How Great Thou Art Hymn totally explained

How Great Thou Art is a Christian hymn written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Sweden in 1885, translated into English by Stuart K. Hine. It was popularized by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during Billy Graham crusades. This hymn was the title track of Elvis Presley's second gospel LP "How Great Thou Art", which was released in 1967. The song won him a Grammy Award for "Best Sacred Performance" in 1967, and another Grammy in 1974 for "Best Inspirational Performance (Non-Classical)",
Boberg wrote the hymn following a two mile walk through a thunderstorm from a church meeting.
It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise.

Commonly Used English Lyrics

Verse 1: ť O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

   Consider all the works Thy hands have made. ť I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

   Thy power through-out the universe displayed. ť Refrain:

   :Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee; ť :How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

   :Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee: ť :How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Verse 2: ť When through the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; ť When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze: ť (Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 3: ť And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; ť That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin: ť (Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 4: ť When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! ť Then I'll bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art! ť (Repeat Refrain.)

Original Swedish Lyrics for the English Verses above

Verse 1: ť O store Gud, när jag den värld beskådar,

   Som du har skapat med ditt allmaktsord, ť Hur där din visdom väver livets trådar,

   Och alla väsen mättas vid ditt bord. ť Refrain:

   :Då brister själen ut i lovsångsljud: ť :O store Gud! O store Gud!

   :Då brister själen ut i lovsångsljud: ť :O store Gud! O store Gud!

Verse 2: ť När sommarvinden susar över fälten,

När blommor dofta invid källans rand, ť När trastar drilla i de gröna tälten,

Vid furuskogens tysta, dunkla rand; ť (Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 3: ť När jag i bibeln skådar alla under,

Som Herren gjort se’n förste Adams tid, ť Hur nådefull Han varit alla stunder,

Och hjälpt sitt folk ur livets synd och strid; ť (Repeat Refrain.)

Verse 4: ť När slutligt alla tidens höljen falla,

   Uti åskådning byter sig min tro, ť Och evighetens klara klockor kalla,

   Min frälsta ande till dess sabbatsro; ť Final refrain:

   Då brister själen ut i lovsångsljud: ť Tack store Gud! Tack store Gud!

   Då brister själen ut i lovsångsljud: ť Tack store Gud! Tack store Gud!

Other Verses

Boberg's entire poem appears (with archaic Swedish spellings) at http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1118653. Presented below are two of those verses which appear (more or less loosely) translated in British hymnbooks, followed in each case by the English.

När tryckt av synd och skuld jag faller neder
Vid Herrens fot och ber om nåd och frid
Och had 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.

Swedish hymnals frequently include the following verse:

När jag hör åskans röst och stormar brusa
Och blixtens klingor springa fram ur skyn,
När regnets kalla, friska skurar susa
Och löftets båge glänser för min syn

That verse

with thunder, storms, lightning (which springs out of the sky like sparks from the sharp rasping blade of a saw), cold rain, showers, wind, and the rainbow of promise

is impressive for its use of concrete expressions but presses the envelope of transcendental sentimentality even in Swedish, bears significant redundance with other statements in the poem, and rarely if ever finds a translated home in post-modern English hymnody, which is less prone than 19-century Swedish to dwell on the stark freshness of nature. Nonetheless it may be the verse which most concretely describes Boberg's plodding damp walk home from church in 1885.

Further Information

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