Wouldst thou in thy lonely hour

Wouldst thou in thy lonely hour
Praises to the Eternal pour?
I will teach thy soul to be
Temple, hymn, and harmony.

Sweeter songs than poets sing
Thou shalt for thine offering bring;
Softly murmured hymns, that dwell
In devotion’s deepest cell.

Know that music’s holiest strain
Loves to linger, loves to reign,
In that calm of quiet thought
Which the passions trouble not.

Wouldst thou in thy lonely hour
Praises to the Eternal pour?
Thus thy soul may learn to be
Temple, hymn, and harmony.

Source: A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #92