You help make Hymnary.org possible. More than 10 million people from 200+ countries found hymns, liturgical resources and encouragement on Hymnary.org in 2025, including you. Every visit affirms the global impact of this ministry.

If Hymnary has been meaningful to you this year, would you take a moment today to help sustain it? A gift of any size—paired with a note of encouragement if you wish—directly supports the server costs, research work and curation that keep this resource freely available to the world.

Give securely online today, or mail a check to:
Hymnary.org
Calvin University
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Thank you for your partnership, and may the hope of Advent fill your heart.

Click here to donate to Hymnary.org I have already donated. Please don't show this to me again

What Can Little Hands Do?

O what can little hands do

Author: Grace W. Hinsdale
Published in 90 hymnals

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 O what can little hands do
to please the King of heaven?
The little hands some work may try,
to help all those in poverty:
such grace to mine be given.

2 O what can little lips do
to please the King of heaven?
The little lips can praise and pray,
and gentle words of kindness say:
such grace to mine be given.

3 O what can little eyes do
to please the King of heaven?
The little eyes can upward look,
can learn to read God's holy book:
such grace to mine be given.

4 O what can little hearts do
to please the King of heaven?
Young hearts, if God His Spirit send,
can love their Maker, Saviour, Friend:
such grace to mine be given.

Source: The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #565

All representative texts • Compare texts • Text size: Regular | Large^ top

Author: Grace W. Hinsdale

Hinsdale, Grace Webster, née Haddock, a Congregationalism daughter married to Theodore Hinsdale, a lawyer of New York, in 1850. Mrs. Hinsdale is a contributor to the periodical press, and has published Coming to the King, a Book of Daily Devotion for Children, 1865; republished in England as Daily Devotions for Children, 1867. Her hymns include :— i. From Coming to the King, 1865. 1. A light streams downward from the sky. Heaven. 2. My soul complete in Jesus stands (1855). Safety in Jesus. ii. From Schaff’s Christ in Song, N.Y., 1869. 3. Are there no wounds for me? Passiontide. Written April, 1868. 4. Jesus, the rays divine. Jesus ever present. Written July, 1868. 5. There was no angel 'midst the throng. Jesus, the D… Go to person page >

^ top

Text Information

First Line: O what can little hands do
Title: What Can Little Hands Do?
Author: Grace W. Hinsdale
Meter: 7.6.8.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
^ top

Notes

O what can little hands do? [Value of Little Things.] We find this popular hymn for children in the American Tract Society's Happy Voices, 1865, No. 136, in 5 stanzas of 5 lines, and signed "Farin."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Hymnary Pro Subscribers
Access an additional article on the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology:
Hymnary Pro subscribers have full access to the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Get Hymnary Pro
^ top

Timeline

^ top

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
TextPage Scan

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #565

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #565
Include 89 pre-1979 instances
All instances^ top
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.