ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
THE HYMN STORY
Like you might suspect, a young man growing up in a wealthy Italian merchant’s family leads a privileged life. Born in 1182, Giovanni enjoyed high-spirited activity with his friends, and at one point became a soldier. But deeper at work was a more sensitive spirit. Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone became disillusioned with the trappings of wealth and power fairly early in life and found himself moved by the plight of the poor. It was perhaps this more reflective spirit that led his father to call him ‘the Frenchman’, which, in Italian translated into ‘Francesco’. The nickname stuck and the world has known him for centuries as ‘Francis of Assisi’.
His love for God grew as did his desire for simplicity in life. His eyes seemed to see beyond the visible, physical world of creation to the presence of the Creator behind it all. It is something that perhaps can happen to any of us if we stop long enough to reflect on the wonder of a majestic tree, the splendid colors of floral blooms or even the limitless spread of humble grasses which carpet the world. And these thoughts don’t even begin to reach into the instinctual intricacies of the animal realm nor the unfathomable expanse and contents of the universe.
No doubt with some of these kinds of thoughts in mind, Frances composed his ‘Canticle of the Sun’ which offers praise to God for the wonders of His creation. Many centuries later, sometime between 1899 and 1919, the Rector of Adel Church in Leeds, England decided to translate Francis’ Canticle from its original Italian and shape it into a hymn. William Henry Draper’s intention was that it be used for Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday), but it has come to be widely used as a hymn for the Easter season.
The tune most commonly associated with the hymn is LASST UNS ERFREUEN, a German melody published with an Easter hymn in 1623. This 1906 arrangement by Ralph Vaughn Williams is used in most hymnals today. Some versions have additional verses speaking to fire, water, the earth and death.
HYMN LYRICS
All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of ev'ning find a voice!
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
And all ye men of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on Him cast your care!
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless
and worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
SOURCES:
https://sermonwriter.com/hymn-stories/creatures-ourgod-king/
http://franciscanseculars.com/all-creatures-of-our-god-and-king/
https://hymnary.org/text/all_creatures_of_our_god_and_king
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Creatures_of_Our_God_and_King
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canticle_of_the_Sun
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Draper_(hymnwriter)
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