Hymn
O happy is the man who hears
O happy is the man who hears
Instruction's warning voice;
And who celestial Wisdom makes
His early, only choice.
For she has treasures greater far
Than east or west unfold;
And her rewards more precious are
Than all their stores of gold.
In her right hand she holds to view
A length of happy days;
Riches, with splendid honours joined,
Are what her left displays.
She guides the young with innocence,
In pleasure's paths to tread,
A crown of glory she bestows
Upon the hoary head.
According as her labours rise,
So her rewards increase;
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
O happy is the man who hears — Text from Methodist Hymn and Tune Book, 1917. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/o-happy-is-the-man-who-hears
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote O happy is the man who hears?
The words of O happy is the man who hears were written by Michael Bruce; the version here was published in 1917. The library holds 3 more hymns by Michael Bruce, including To Us a Child of Hope is Born and Where high the heavenly temple stands.
Is O happy is the man who hears public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Methodist Hymn and Tune Book, published in 1917. 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 O happy is the man who hears?
O happy is the man who hears is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Hope of Heaven by the Resurrection of Christ, Saints in the Hand of Christ and A Funeral Thought.