The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-03
s1onr or 4 FAMOUS HYMN
liz yIcissitudes Since 81. Augustine Wrote

Few OF us. as we sing our favorite
hymns. realize how beautiful some OF
them IRE as poetry or trouble ourselves
concerning their origin and age Yet II
their authors had written secular poems
OF equal beauty they would be ranked
with the great poets. Perhaps we Wouid
appreciate the poetic beauty OF these
hymns II we had not sung them so oIteh
that we have come 10 think It as easy
for their authors 10 have written as II Is
for US 10 sing them. Possibly, too, we
are so taken up with the tune that we do
not give enough thought 10 the words.
,me of these hymns are very old-eVen
nt-as well as very beautiful.
n I'm which is "A great favorite with
young people. 20 Mother Dear, Jurusa-
lemv' was written IN Latin by no less
light In church history than st. Augustine,
the famous bishop Of the Numidian see OF
Hippo and thus dates from as early a
period as the fourth century after Christ.
IL did not find its way into English I'M
I'll twelve hundred years later, or in the
sixteenth century, when two versions Of
Il appeared. IN ST. Augustine's Media
tions" II is i'm prose- but this prose Is poe
try except for lack Of meter
The first English version was signed
with the initials +. b. T.. Who this writer
was is not known. The second version is
signed wv. Prid," who tells Us in the
quaint language and spelling OF his day
that he was doctor of the lawcs,' and
that he translated the hymn from st.
Augustine his booke." and that 1t was
printed at London "at the Signe Of the
White Beare."
Except for quaint spelling and a great
nany stanzas that have long since been
omitted from the hymnals f. Il. P.'s YER
sion is very much like that now In use.
In our books the hymn Is In four stanzas,
but +. Il. P.s has thirteen.
Much of the old-time quaintress OF f.
h. P's translation still fingers in the mod
ern lines; st. Augustine tells us in the
Latin original that the walls Of Jerusalem
are made Of precious stones and that 'he
bulwarks. gates, turrets, etc, are equally
rich. +. y. p. renders this dazzling de-
tCription as follows:
"Thy wales are made of precious stones,
Thy bulwarks diamondes square.
Thy gates are Of right orient pearle,
Exceedinge richie and rare.
Thy terrettes and thy pinnacles
With carbuncles doe shine.
Thy verie streetes are paved with gould
Surpassinge cleare and fine"
We are also told that in Jerusalem
there are:
moe spiders web. noe durt. noe dust"
The last four lines in the modern YER
sion read
Right through the streets with pleas
ing sound
The living waters flow,
And on the banks on either side
The trees OF life do grow"
The old-time hymns expressed the same
thought in these quaint words:
"Quyt quite through the streetes with
silver sound
The flood of life doe flow, =
Upon whose banks. on everie syde
The wood of life doth grove"
One Of the quaintest Of all the lines de-
scribes David standing "harpe I'm handle"
as mister OF the queere" (choir). and
says the man We're blessed "tenne" thou
sand times that might his musicke
heare."
have often seen this favorite hymn
ascribed TO David Dickson. who was a
Scotch Presbyterian minister of the last
century. But the real author was St
Augustine who put il I'm "his booke"
fifteen centuries ago. Truly this beautiful
hymn echoes down the corridors Of
time" GUSTAV Kobe.