All Creatures of Our God and King
Words: Francis of Assisi, c. 1225; tr. William H. Draper, 1899 (pub. 1919) · Tune "Lasst uns erfreuen," 1623 · Public domain
Verse 1
FAll creatures of our BbGod and FKing,
FLift up your voice and with us Csing:
FAlleluia! FAlleluia!
C7Thou burning Fsun with Cgolden Fbeam,
BbThou silver Fmoon with Csofter Fgleam,
BbO praise Him! O praise Him!
BbAlleluia! FAlleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 2
FThou rushing wind that Bbart so Fstrong,
FYe clouds that sail in heav'n Calong,
FO praise Him! FAlleluia!
C7Thou rising Fmorn, in praise Crejoice,
FYe Bblights of Fevening, Cfind a Fvoice:
BbO praise Him! O praise Him!
BbAlleluia! FAlleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 3
FThou flowing water, Bbpure and Fclear,
FMake music for thy Lord to Chear,
FAlleluia! FAlleluia!
C7Thou fire so Fmasterful Cand Fbright,
FThat Bbgivest Fman both Cwarmth and Flight:
BbO praise Him! O praise Him!
BbAlleluia! FAlleluia! Alleluia!
Verse 4
FLet all things their BbCreator Fbless,
FAnd worship Him in Chumbleness,
FO praise Him! FAlleluia!
C7Praise, praise the FFather, Cpraise the FSon,
FAnd Bbpraise the FSpirit, CThree in FOne:
BbO praise Him! O praise Him!
BbAlleluia! FAlleluia! Alleluia!
Chords in the key of F
- F
- Bb
- C
- C7
About this hymn
- Words
- Francis of Assisi, 1225, paraphrased in English by William Henry Draper, around 1910, published 1919
- Music
- LASST UNS ERFREUEN, 17th century German melody, composer unknown
- Meter
- 8.8.4.4.8.8 with refrain
- In
- 317 hymnals
- Scripture
- Psalm 148, Psalm 145, Job 12:7-10
The story
Francis of Assisi wrote the Italian original in the summer of 1225. He was nearly blind by then, living in a small shelter near San Damiano. People know it as the Canticle of the Sun. What we sing in English is not a straight translation. William Henry Draper made a paraphrase around 1910 for a children's Pentecost festival in Leeds, about seven hundred years after Francis. It waited until 1919 to reach print, in The Public School Hymn Book. The tune is a third thread altogether. LASST UNS ERFREUEN is a German melody from the 1600s, composer unknown, and it got joined to Draper's words long after either one was made.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as an opening hymn or a processional, and in services about creation and thanksgiving. The alleluias give a choir something to lean into, so it fits a big Sunday.
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