We thank Thee O our Father / We Thank you God our Father

This is a hymn of thanks to God, especially as seen in the natural world, specifically in flowers.

It was written by Irish, Church of Ireland minister's daughter, author and hymn-writer Catherine MacSorley (1848-1929).

With meter 7.6.7.6 D, tunes it is set to include:

ENDSLEIGH by Italian composer Salvatore Ferretti (1817-1874)
GREENLAND (Haydn) - from J. Michael Haydn's "Deutschen Kirchen Messen"
CLAFLIN arranged from Herman Kotzschmar (1829–1909).

Downloads

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PowerPoint slides

Examples

Choir and congregation, with piano:

Instrumental - piano:

Lyrics

Traditional language

We thank Thee, O our Father,
For all Thy loving care;
We thank Thee that Thou madest
The world so bright and fair.
We thank Thee for the sunshine,
And for the pleasant showers;
And O, our God, we thank Thee,
We thank Thee for the flowers.

2. Out in the sunny meadows
And in the woodlands cool,
Upon the breezy hillside,
And by each reedy pool,
And in the quiet pasture,
And by the broad highways,
All pure, and fresh, and stainless,
They spring up every day.

3. And in the dusty city,
Where busy crowds pass by,
And where the tall dark houses
Stand up and hide the sky;
And where through lanes and alleys
No pleasant breezes blow,
Even there, O God, our Father,
Thou mak’st the flowers grow.

4. And whether in the city
Or in the fields they dwell
Always the same sweet message,
The fair, sweet flowers tell.
For they are all so wondrous,
They show Thy power abroad;
And they are all so beauteous,
They tell Thy love, O God.

Modern English

We thank you, God our Father,

for all your loving care;

we thank you that you made the world

so very bright and fair.

We thank you for the sunshine,

and for the pleasant showers;

and we thank you, God our Father,

we thank you for the flowers.

2. Out in the sunny meadows,

and in the woodlands cool,

and under every hedgerow,

and by each reedy pool,

and on the lonely moorland,

and by the broad highway –

with colours bright, so pure and fresh,

they spring up every day.

3 And in the dusty city,

where busy crowds pass by;

and where the tall dark houses

stand up and hide the sky,

and where through lanes and alleys

no pleasant breezes blow,

dear God our Father,

even there you make the flowers grow.

4. And whether in the city

or in the fields they dwell,

always the same sweet message

the sweet young flowers tell.

For they are all so wonderful,

they show your power abroad;

and they are all so beautiful,

they tell your love, O God.