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G4EBT > POEM 16.10.04 10:02l 89 Lines 3078 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 373242G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: "Gifts"
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 041016/0859Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:16958 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:373242G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : POEM@WW
I recently sent out a poem, a clip of which is below:
"Gifts"
> Give me the warmth of a summer's day,
> Give me the songs of the birds,
> Give me a garden filled with flowers,
> And my happiness needs no words.
The poem appealed to me, as it seemed to have done to others judging by
the mail I've received. It somehow evoked childhood memories, and sounded
vaguely familiar, but I couldn't think why.
Sadly, I went to a funeral of an old friend yesterday. It wasn't really
a sad affair - more a celebration of his life than mourning his death.
He was a bit of a jester and knew his end was coming. He had little faith
in the medical profession so arranged for his mobile 'phone and
screwdriver to be buried with him just in case the news of his death
turned out to be premature. (We used to call that "black" humour, (as in
sombre, macarbre), but we can't say that any more - it's not PC!).
Anyway, enough of that, I'll cut to the chase: When one of the hymns was
announced, the "penny dropped" and the memory came back. It was a long
forgotten hymn from Sunday School back in the late 1940's, the words of
which seem to run parallel to "Gifts".
It was "For the Beauty of the Earth" By Folliot S Pierpoint. I've no wish
to evangelise - as a child I was told and believed that God created man;
when I was older, and able to think rationally rather than accept without
question what was drummed into me, I concluded that man created God.
Nevertheless, there are many splendid hymns, which read like poetry, and
I like the archaic English which is often used (the, though, thine, etc).
Also, it's intriguing the way that the music always seems to fit so well
with the lyrics.
There are many hymnal websites on the net - one of the better ones being:
http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/ where lyrics and music scores of
countless hymns can be downloaded, and the tune played. (That website even
gives the choice of instrument - piano, organ or bells!).
I'm sure many on here may also recall or be familiar with "For the
Beauty",
sometimes known as "Lord of All", the words of the first four of six
verses are:
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise,
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light;
Lord of all to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony,
Linking sense to sound and sight;
(Lord of all etc)
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Etc,
Can't argue with any of that. A fair old wordsmith, FS Pierpoint eh?
73 - David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
Eddystone User Group Member
G-QRP Club Member No: 1339
QTH: Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 09:58 on 2004-Oct-16
Message sent using WinPack-Telnet V6.70
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