The Highlands Of Sorrow

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  • #3550

    Rachel Kaufmann
    Participant

    Any thoughts or advice?

    The Lord gets many of his strongest workers out of the highlands of affliction.

    ~Spurgeon

    The Highlands of Sorrow

    1: Forth from the highlands of Sorrow

    Comes many a soul ablaze

    With visions of things as yet unseen,

    Beyond earth’s hastening days.

    2: From out the bitterest of trials

    May come the sweetest of songs,

    As gold in the blazing furnace tried

    By struggles and ills and wrongs.

    3: From a heart once broken the Artist

    May form Him a masterpiece.

    Beauty for ashes be given then,

    The fullness of joy, increased.

    4: From out of turmoil and doubting may

    Come a faith more sure and strong.

    The battle won, the hosts of heaven

    Will join the triumphant song.

    5: From out the valley of death and shade;

    A herald of life to come.

    “O Death where now is thy sting and where

    The vict’ry which thou hast won?”

    6: From out the thorn and the scourge and cross;

    Salvation, redemption’s might.

    From out the grave and the darkness came

    The dawn of Eternal Light.

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  • #3558

    I like the strength of the repeated ideas here. Also, you have a number of Scripture allusions which is great!

    A few problem spots: the rhythm is not an exact rhythm, and stanzas 1 and 2 both seem to be one syllable short in the first line. Also, in stanza 4 there is a split verb phrase at the end of the first line and beginning of the second. Depending on the music it could flow, but if singers take a breath there, I think it would be stronger to rework that somehow.

    Love the thought of “a soul ablaze with visions of things as yet unseen.”

  • #3561

    What do you think of this version?

    The Highlands of Affliction

    1: Out of the highlands of affliction

    Comes many a soul ablaze

    With visions of things as yet unseen,

    Beyond earth’s hastening days.

    2: So too from the bitt’rest of trials

    May come the sweetest of songs,

    As gold in the blazing furnace tried

    By struggles and ills and wrongs.

    3: From a heart once broken the Artist

    May form Him a masterpiece.

    Beauty for ashes be given then,

    The fullness of joy, increased.

    4: Up from turmoil and doubting may rise

    A faith yet more sure and strong.

    For the trials of life work patience

    When rough is the track, and long.

    5: From out the valley of death and shade;

    A herald of life to come.

    “O Death where now is thy sting and where

    The vict’ry which thou hast won?”

    6: From out the thorn and the scourge and cross;

    Salvation, redemption’s might.

    From out the grave and the darkness came

    The dawn of Eternal Light.

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