How fine has the day been (John Fawcett)

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• (Posted 2019-10-07)  CPDL #55544: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2019-10-07).   Score information: A4, 4 pages, 76 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score. Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: How fine has the day been
Composer: John Fawcett
Lyricist: Isaac Watts

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymn

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: Anthologised in "Harmonia sacra, a collection of the most celebrated tunes and anthems", Aberdeen, 1822. This work includes neither organ part nor figured bass.

Original text and translations

English text

How fine has the day been, how bright was the sun,
How lovely and joyful the course he has run;
Tho' he rose in a mist when his race he begun,
And there followed some droppings of rain.
But now the fair trav'ller is come to the west,
His rays are all gold and his beauties are best;
He paints the sky gay as he sinks to his rest,
And foretells a bright rising again.

Just such is the Christian, his race he begins
Like a fine rising sun when he mourns for his sins;
Now he melts into tears, then he breaks out and shines,
And he travels his heavenly way.
But now the fair trav'ller is come to the west,
His rays are all gold and his beauties are best;
He paints the sky gay as he sinks to his rest,
And foretells a bright rising again.

But when he comes nearer to finish his race,
Like a fine setting sun, he looks richer in grace,
And he gives a sure hope in the end of his days
Of rising in brighter array.
But now the fair trav'ller is come to the west,
His rays are all gold and his beauties are best;
He paints the sky gay as he sinks to his rest,
And foretells a bright rising again.