The song of the minutes

We are but minutes, little things

Author: Anonymous
Tune: ALLA TRINITA BEATA
Published in 6 hymnals

Representative Text

1 We are but minutes - little things
Each one furnished with sixty wings,
With which we fly on our unseen track,
And not a minute ever comes back.

2 We are but minutes - yet each one bears
A little burden of joys and cares,
Patiently take the minutes of pain,
The worst of minutes cannot remain.

3 We are but minutes - when we bring
A few of the drops from pleasure's spring,
Taste their sweetness while we stay,
It takes but a minute to fly away.

4 We are but minutes - use us well,
For how we are used we must one day tell;
who uses us has hours to use,
Who loses minutes whole years must lose.

Source: The Hymnal for Boys and Girls #112

Author: Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: We are but minutes, little things
Title: The song of the minutes
Author: Anonymous
Meter: 8.8.9.9 irregular
Refrain First Line: Tick, tick, tick
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 6 of 6)

Infant Songs #d32

Infant Songs #d32

Sweet Hosannahs for the Sunday School #d61

The Silver Chime #d88

Page Scan

The Silver Chime #54

Text

The Hymnal for Boys and Girls #112

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