Hymn
Retirement and Meditation
Far from the world, O Lord, I flee,
From strife and tumult far;
From scenes where Satan wages still
His most successful war.
The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree;
And seem by Thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow Thee.
There, if Thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,
O with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!
There, like the nightingale, she pours
Her solitary lays;
Nor asks a witness of her song,
Nor thirsts for human praise.
Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet Source of light divine,
And, all harmonious names in one,
My Saviour,--Thou art mine!
What thanks I owe Thee, and what love,
A boundless, endless store,
Shall echo through the realms above
When time shall be no more!
Retirement and Meditation — Text from Church Book, 1890. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/retirement-and-meditation
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Retirement and Meditation?
The words of Retirement and Meditation were written by William Cowper; the version here was published in 1890. The library holds 16 more hymns by William Cowper, including Exhortation to Prayer and Return of Joy.
Is Retirement and Meditation public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Church Book, published in 1890. 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 Retirement and Meditation?
Retirement and Meditation is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, This Is the Day the Lord Hath Made, Divine Love Making a Feast and O Where Are Kings and Empires Now?