Abide with Me Lyrics in Large Print: Free Printable PDF
The words of Abide with Me are here in large print, one sheet at 18, 24 or 28 point. Henry Francis Lyte wrote the words in 1847. They were published before 1930, so they are public domain in the US and free to copy.
| Words by | Henry Francis Lyte, written 1847 |
|---|---|
| Music | William H. Monk, tune Eventide, 1861 |
| Type size | 18, 24 or 28 pt |
| Paper | US Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 in, white or cream |
Abide with Me in large print: words and download
Abide with Me
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me!
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless,
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!
Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies,
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life and death, O Lord, abide with me!
Words: Henry F. Lyte (written 1847). Music: William H. Monk (1861). Public domain in the United States: words written 1847 (US, published 1929 or earlier).
The words above are set the way this site sets every song: left aligned, one column, plain type with no italics, and a blank line between stanzas. The sheet has 5 stanzas and 20 lines. Abide with Me is one of the songs in our large print hymns collection, where you can print it with others in one PDF, and the whole set of texts is listed on the large print prayers and hymns page.
Who wrote Abide with Me and when?
Henry Francis Lyte was an Anglican clergyman, vicar of All Saints' Church in Brixham, Devon. Wikipedia says he wrote the hymn in 1847 while dying of tuberculosis, aged 54. It is a prayer for God to stay with the singer through life and in death. It was written out of Luke 24:29, where two disciples ask Jesus to stay with them because evening is coming.
There is some dispute about the date. A 1925 article in The Spectator said Lyte first composed it in 1820 at the bedside of a dying friend, and reworked it near the end of his own life. The tune usually paired with it is Eventide by the organist William Henry Monk.
When is Abide with Me sung?
It is a hymn about the end of the day and the end of life, so it is often chosen for evening services, for funerals and memorials, and for the close of a bedside visit. If you are planning a folder of songs for the same occasion, the sheets for Nearer, My God, to Thee, Rock of Ages, Holy, Holy, Holy and Just As I Am use the same layout, so they sit well together.
How do you print Abide with Me for a service, a sing-along or a care-home visit?
In our layout tests on US Letter paper, Abide with Me takes 1 page at 18 point, 2 at 24 point and 4 at 28 point. On 11 x 17 paper at 24 point it takes 1 page. Eighteen point is the smallest size we offer, because the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) says print below 18 point is not large print, and our page on what large print is explains the reasons for 18, 24 and 28 point.
Count the singers first. For a church service, print one copy for each place and keep a small stack at the door. For a sing-along, one for each person. For a care-home visit, one for each resident plus the helpers, printed single-sided so the sheet lies flat on a lap tray. It is a hymn for the end of the day, so a cream sheet in soft light is kinder to the eyes than white paper under a bright lamp. Read it aloud slowly at a bedside.