A Hymn. After reading "Lead, kindly light."

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Lead gently, Lord, and slow,

Author: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1899)
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

1. Lead gently, Lord, and slow,
For oh, my steps are weak,
And ever as I go,
Some soothing silence speak;

2. That I may turn my face
Through doubt’s obscurity
Toward thine abiding place,
E’en though I cannot see.

3. For lo, the way is dark;
Through mist and cloud I grope,
Save for that fitful spark,
The little flame of hope.

4. Lead gently, Lord, and slow,
For fear that I may fall;
I know not where to go
Unless I hear thy call.

5. My fainting soul doth yearn
For thy green hills afar,
So let thy mercy burn—
My greater, guiding star!

Source: Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship (African American Edition) #18g

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Author: Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (b 27 June 1872, Dayton, OH | d 9 Feb. 1906, Dayton, OH), son of Joshua Dunbar and Matilda Burton Murphy. Showing an early aptitude for writing, he was editor of his high school’s student newspaper and submitted poetry to the Dayton Herald and the West Side News. While intially working as an elevator operator, he joined the Western Association of Writers (1892) and soon after published his first collection, Oak and Ivy (1893). With his increasing popularity, he was hired as a library assistant in the Library of Congress (1897), and the following year published his first novel, The Uncalled (1898). He thereafter devoted himself full time to his literary pursuits, becoming a prolific writer. His career was cut short by… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Lead gently, Lord, and slow,
Title:	A Hymn. After reading "Lead, kindly light."
Author:	Paul Laurence Dunbar (1899)
Source:	Lyrics of the Hearthside, 1899
Place of Origin:	Dayton, Ohio
Language:	English