How tedious and tasteless the hours When Jesus no longer I see! Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flow’rs, Have all lost their sweetness to me. The midsummer sun shines but dim, The fields strive in vain to look gay; But when I am happy in Him December’s as pleasant as May.
D
How
A
tedious and
Bm
tasteless the
D
hours
G
When
D
Jesus no
Em
longer I
A
see!
D
Sweet
A
prospects, sweet
Bm
birds and sweet
D
flow'rs,
G
Have
D
all lost
G
their
A
sweetness to
D
me.
The midsummer sun shines but
G
dim,
Em
The
D
fields strive in vain to
G
look
A
gay;
D
But
A
when I am
Bm
happy in
D
Him
G
De
D
cember's
G
as
A
pleasant as
D
May.
2
His name yields the richest perfume, And sweeter than music His voice; His presence disperses my gloom, And makes all within me rejoice. I should, were He always thus nigh, Have nothing to wish or to fear; No mortal so happy as I; My summer would last all the year.
His name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music His voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice.
I should, were He always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal so happy as I;
My summer would last all the year.
D
His
A
name yields the
Bm
richest
D
perfume,
G
And
D
sweeter than
Em
music His
A
voice;
D
His
A
presence
Bm
disperses my gloom,
G
And
D
makes all
G A
within me
D
rejoice.
I should, were He always thus
G
nigh,
Em
Have
D
nothing to wish or
G
to
A
fear;
D
No
A
mortal so
Bm
happy as
D
I;
G
My
D
summer
G
would
A
last all the
D
year.
3
Content with beholding His face, My all to His pleasure resigned; No changes of season or place, Would make any change in my mind. While blessed with a sense of His love, A palace a toy would appear; And prisons would palaces prove, If Jesus would dwell with me there.
Content with beholding His face,
My all to His pleasure resigned;
No changes of season or place,
Would make any change in my mind.
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear;
And prisons would palaces prove,
If Jesus would dwell with me there.
D A
Content with
Bm
beholding His
D
face,
G
My
D
all to His
Em
pleasure
A
resigned;
D
No
A
changes of
Bm
season or place,
G
Would
D
make any
G
change
A
in my mind.
While blessed with a sense of His
G
love,
Em
A
D
palace a toy would
G A
appear;
D
And
A
prisons would
Bm
palaces prove,
G
If
D
Jesus
G
would
A
dwell with me
D
there.
4
My Lord, if indeed I am Thine, If Thou art my sun and my song, Say, why do I languish and pine? And why are my winters so long? Oh, drive these dark clouds from the sky, Thy soul-cheering presence restore; Or take me to Thee up on high, Where winter and clouds are no more.
Lord make everything apart from you tedious and tasteless. May you be the reality of everything that brings forth sweetness and riches. That I would continuously behold you with an unveiled face. Thy soul-cheering presence restore or take me to Thee up on high!
"How tedious and tasteless the hours when Jesus no longer I see! (... ) But when I am happy in Him December’s as pleasant as May."
It's true that whenever we do not have the Lord's presence, everything seems to be just tedious and tasteless. But as long as we have His smile, His presence, we always have a sense joy and peace inside even if we're down and walking through a valley.
"I am afraid of only one thing—that I would lose the presence of my Lord." -W. Lee
Like this brother, may we also be afraid of losing the smile, the presence, of our Lord whom we love.
Singing this hymn really caused me to touch the Lord in my spirit. Oh how sweet it is that He disperses our gloom. We are the happiest people in the world when we truly touch the Lord! He is life!
I bet one of you wise folks commenting on this song could help me out with this. I love singing this song, but am always confused by this line. What does it mean to you?
Delete Comment
Are you sure you want to delete this comment?
Durham, NC, United States
Lord make everything apart from you tedious and tasteless. May you be the reality of everything that brings forth sweetness and riches. That I would continuously behold you with an unveiled face. Thy soul-cheering presence restore or take me to Thee up on high!
Kitale, Trans Nzoia, Kenya
A good resource. Please include solfa notation
Canada
content with beholding His face,
our all to His pleasure resigned.
no changes of season or place,
would make any change in our mind.
Houstom, TX, United States
So true! Longing for His presence, although I know He is near!
Philippines
"How tedious and tasteless the hours when Jesus no longer I see! (... ) But when I am happy in Him December’s as pleasant as May."
It's true that whenever we do not have the Lord's presence, everything seems to be just tedious and tasteless. But as long as we have His smile, His presence, we always have a sense joy and peace inside even if we're down and walking through a valley.
"I am afraid of only one thing—that I would lose the presence of my Lord." -W. Lee
Like this brother, may we also be afraid of losing the smile, the presence, of our Lord whom we love.
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Singing this hymn really caused me to touch the Lord in my spirit. Oh how sweet it is that He disperses our gloom. We are the happiest people in the world when we truly touch the Lord! He is life!
Canada
Judy, it means that the Lord’s love is incomparable. When we sense His love, even a palace would seem to us like a toy, and a prison like a palace.
Manhattan, KS, United States
I bet one of you wise folks commenting on this song could help me out with this. I love singing this song, but am always confused by this line. What does it mean to you?
While blessed with a sense of His love,
A palace a toy would appear;
Have fallen into depression. These words came to me after long forgotten years. Yes Lord, I long for your Presence.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Wonderful words!