Hymn
Begin, my soul, the exalted lay
Begin, my soul, the exalted lay;
Let each enraptured thought obey,
And praise the Almighty name;
Lo! heaven, and earth, and seas, and skies,
In one melodious concert rise,
To swell the inspiring theme.
Thou heaven of heavens, his vast abode,
Ye clouds, proclaim your Maker, God;
Ye thunders, speak his power;
Lo! on the lightning's fiery wing
In triumph rides the eternal King
The astonished worlds adore.
Ye deeps, with roaring billows, rise
To join the thunders of the skies;
Praise him who bids you roll;
His praise in softer notes declare,
Each whispering breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the soul.
Begin, my soul, the exalted lay — Text from The Voice of Praise, 1873. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/begin-my-soul-the-exalted-lay
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Begin, my soul, the exalted lay?
The words of Begin, my soul, the exalted lay were written by John Ogilvie; the version here was published in 1873.
Is Begin, my soul, the exalted lay public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Voice of Praise, published in 1873. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Begin, my soul, the exalted lay?
Begin, my soul, the exalted lay is in 8.8.6.8.8.6. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, O Love Divine, How Sweet Thou Art, The Christian Soldier and The Pilgrim's Happy Lot.