Hymn
Winter
Stern winter throws his icy chains
Encircling nature round;
How bleak, how comfortless the plains,
Late with gay verdure crowned.
The sun withdraws his vital beams,
And light and warmth depart;
And drooping, lifeless nature seems
An emblem of my heart.
Return, O blissful Sun, and bring
Thy soul-reviving ray:
This mental winter shall be spring,
This darkness turn to day.
Oh, happy state! divine abode!
Where spring eternal reigns,
And perfect day, the smile of God,
Fills all the heavenly plains.
Great Source of light, thy beams display,
My drooping joys restore!
And guide me to the seats of day,
Where winter frowns no more.
Winter — Text from The Voice of Praise, 1873. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/winter
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 Winter?
The words of Winter were written by Anne Steele; the version here was published in 1873. The library holds 47 more hymns by Anne Steele, including A Dying Savior and My God, my Father, blissful name.
Is Winter 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 Winter?
Winter is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, A Morning Song, Holy Fortitude and Retirement and Meditation.