He (All) Who Would Valiant Be / To Be a Pilgrim

This hymn about courage and pilgrimage is modelled on a passage from John Bunryan's "Pilgrim's Progress".

The words were adapted to the currently commonly-used hymn-format by English Anglican priest, author and social-justice advocate Percy Dearmer (1867-1936).

With meter 6.5.6.5.6.6.6.5, tunes it is set to include:

MONKS GATE, which was collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
MOAB by John Roberts, 1870
ST. DUNSTAN'S (Douglas) by Winfred Douglas (1917)

Downloads

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PowerPoint
slides

Downloadable SATB choir arrangement by John R. Daniels

Examples

Singer with historic instruments - Bunyan's original words:

Singer with guitar:

Choir with organ:

Choir with organ - slightly different words:

Large choir with orchestra, and on-screen words:

Lyrics

All who would valiant be,
‘Gainst all disaster,
Let them in constancy
Follow their Master,
There’s no discouragement
Shall make them once relent,
The first avowed in tent
To be a pilgrim.

Those who beset them round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound –
Their strength the more is.
No foe shall stay their might
Though they with giants fight:
They will make good the right
To be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord. Thou dost defend
Us with thy Spirit,
We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away,
We’ll fear not what they say,
We’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.

ABC Notation

X:1

T:To Be a Pilgrim

A:Percy Dearmer (1867-1936), after Joyn Bunyan (1628-1688)

C:Traditional English - MONKS GATE

O:England

Z:abc-transcription www.GodSongs.net

M:4/4

L:1/4

K:Dmaj

"D"D>E | F D"Bm"F/2G/2 A |"G"B2"D"A2| A D "A"C "D"D-| D2 D>E|

w:All_ who would val_iant be ‘Gainst all dis-ast-er,_ let_

F D "Bm"F/2G/2 A |"G"B2 "D"A2 |A>D "A"C "D"D -|D2 A2|

w:them in con_stan-cy Foll-ow their Mas-ter._  There's

"Bm"d B "A"c d/2c/2 |"Bm"B3 A |"D"F/2E/2 D F G | "A"A3 d |

w:no dis-cour-age_ment shall make_ them once re-lent, the

"D"A>A "G"B/2A/2 G/2F/2 | "Em"E B "D"A D |"A"C "D"D |]

w:first a-vowed_ in_tent, to be a pil-grim.

Ref: What is ABC