The lyrics in the hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth” are inspiring and timeless. Reflect on God’s precious gifts as you sing along with this gentle and lovely song. Then learn the history of the song and print the lyrics.
“For the Beauty of the Earth” Lyrics
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
Click the image to download a printable PDF of “For the Beauty of the Earth” lyrics.
Sing along with these lovely verses about the beauty of God’s creation in this illustrated video from The Good and the Beautiful!
Story of the Song
Written as a hymn of thanksgiving by Folliot Sandford Pierpoint, “For the Beauty of the Earth” was first published in London, England in 1864. The eight stanza poem was originally titled “The Sacrifice of Praise” and published in the second edition of Lyra Eucharistica.
Pierpoint, a Queens’ College graduate, grew up in Bath, England. Set among steep hills and valleys along the River Avon in southwestern England, Bath is home to 16th century Saint Peter and Saint Paul abbey, gothic style buildings, and ancient Roman baths. It is believed that he wrote the lovely lyrics of “For the Beauty of the Earth” as he walked through his picturesque hometown and admired its beauty.
A Song of Thanksgiving
The three stanza arrangement from The Good and the Beautiful uses German composer Conrad Kocher’s 1838 melody called DIX. In 1978 British composer John Rutter wrote a lovely modern melody for Pierpoint’s lyrics. Today, churchgoers and choral groups enjoy singing both arrangements.
Each stanza of “For the Beauty of the Earth” expresses awe and gratefulness for God’s good gifts. From the beautiful rolling hills to the glorious skies above, He gives us much to be thankful for. Not only did God paint a beautiful world, He filled it with human love and kindness as highlighted in stanza three.
Every day is a good day to give thanks and praise for the beauty in our lives. Comment below with some things your family is thankful for today.
Click the image to download a printable PDF of “For the Beauty of the Earth” lyrics.
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Comments
One of my favorite hymns. So lovely. ❤️
Love this! One of my favorite hymns.
I haven’t looked around the blog much. I love that you post the lyrics for these songs. Thank you!
One of my favorite hymns. So lovely. ❤️
Love this! So much!