How Great Thou Are
The hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’ is a Christian hymn based on an original Swedish hymn entitled ‘O Store Gud’ written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (1859–1940). The inspiration for the poem came when Boberg was walking home from church near Kronobäck, Sweden, and listening to church bells. A sudden storm got Boberg’s attention, and then just as suddenly as it had made its appearance, it subsided to a peaceful calm which Boberg observed over Mönsterås Bay. The English version of the hymn and its title are a loose translation by the English missionary Stuart K. Hine from 1949. The hymn was popularized by George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows during Billy Graham’s crusades. It was voted the British public’s favourite hymn by BBC’s Songs of Praise. ‘How Great Thou Art’ was ranked second (after ‘Amazing Grace’) on a list of the favourite hymns of all time in a survey by Christianity Today magazine in 2001 and in a nationwide poll by Songs Of Praise in 2019.
English Lyrics
VERSE 1:
O Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power 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
VERSE 2:
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:
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
VERSE 3:
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 then proclaim
My God
How great Thou art
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
