Hymn
The Better Portion
Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings,
Thy better portion trace;
Rise from transitory things
Tow'rds heav'n, thy native place.
Sun and moon and stars decay,
Time shall soon this earth remove;
Rise, my soul, and haste away
To seats prepared above.
Rivers to the ocean run,
Nor stay in all their course;
Fire ascending seeks the sun;
Both speed them to their source:
So my soul that came from God
Longs to view His glorious face,
Forward tends to His abode,
To rest in His embrace.
Cease, ye pilgrims, cease to mourn,
Press onward to the prize;
Soon our Saviour will return
Triumphant in the skies:
Yet a season, and you know
Happy entrance will be given,
All our sorrows left below,
And earth exchanged for heaven!
Amen.
The Better Portion — Text from The Hymnal and Order of Service, 1926. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/the-better-portion
Chord chart coming soon
Want to play this one? Leave your email and we'll let you know when the chords are ready.
Questions about this hymn
Who wrote The Better Portion?
The words of The Better Portion were written by Robert Seagrave; the version here was published in 1926.
Is The Better Portion public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Hymnal and Order of Service, published in 1926. 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 The Better Portion?
The Better Portion is in 7.6.7.6.7.7.7.6. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Alarm.