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Hymns of My Youth II: How Great Thou Art

O Store Gud (O Great God) was written in 1885 by Swedish Poet Carl Boberg. The translation we have in our hymnals is, as far as I have been able to learn, not faithful. Still, it’s always been one of my favorites. Even if the translation is poor, the resulting hymn is good.

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hand hath made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed!

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook, and feel he gentle breeze,

Refrain

And when I think that God, His son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in—
That on the cross my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!

Refrain

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Refrain

—Great Hymns of the Faith (Zondervan, 1968).