Nearer, My God, to Thee Lyrics in Large Print: Free PDF
The words of Nearer, My God, to Thee are here in large print, one sheet at 18, 24 or 28 point. Sarah Flower Adams wrote the words in 1841. They were published before 1930, so they are public domain in the US and free to copy.
| Words by | Sarah Flower Adams, 1841 |
|---|---|
| Music | Lowell Mason, 1856, tune Bethany |
| Type size | 18, 24 or 28 pt |
| Paper | US Letter, A4 or 11 x 17 in, white or cream |
Nearer, My God, to Thee in large print: words and download
Nearer, My God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee! nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be—
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer, to Thee!
Though, like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
There let the way appear steps unto heav'n;
All that Thou sendest me in mercy given:
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise:
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee!
Nearer to Thee!
Or if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be—
Nearer, my God, to Thee
Nearer to Thee!
Words: Sarah F. Adams (1841). Music: Lowell Mason (1856). Public domain in the United States: words published 1841 (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 25 lines. Nearer, My God, to Thee 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 Nearer, My God, to Thee and when?
Sarah Flower Adams was an English poet and Unitarian hymn writer. Wikipedia says she wrote the words in 1841 at her home in Loughton, Essex, and that they retell the story of Jacob's dream in Genesis 28. Her sister, the composer Eliza Flower, first set it to music.
In Britain the words are usually sung to Horbury, a tune by John Bacchus Dykes from 1861. In the United States and elsewhere the usual tune is Bethany by Lowell Mason, from 1856. The hymn is also remembered as one reported to have been played as the RMS Titanic sank in 1912.
When is Nearer, My God, to Thee sung?
It is sung at funerals and memorials, and at bedsides, where the plain words of the hymn are a comfort. If you are planning a folder of songs for the same occasion, the sheets for Abide with Me, It Is Well with My Soul and Be Thou My Vision use the same layout, so they sit well together.
How do you print Nearer, My God, to Thee for a service, a sing-along or a care-home visit?
In our layout tests on US Letter paper, Nearer, My God, to Thee takes 2 pages at 18 point, 2 at 24 point and 3 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 copies before you print. A service needs one for every seat and about five extra; a sing-along needs one for each person so nobody has to lean over a neighbor; a care-home visit needs one for every resident and one for each helper. Choose cream paper with a matte finish, since glossy stock glares under ceiling lights. It has five verses with the closing line repeated. If you are visiting someone at the end of their life, ask them which verse they would like, and print that verse's page at 28 point.