Abide with Me

"Abide with Me"
Hymn
The hymn set to "Eventide"
Written	1847 (1847)
Text	by Henry Francis Lyte
Based on
Meter	10 10 10 10
Melody	"Eventide" by William Henry Monk
Composed	1861 (1861)

"Abide with Me" is a Christian hymn by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte most often sung to English composer William Henry Monk's tune entitled "Eventide".

Lyte wrote the poem in 1847 and set it to music while he lay dying from tuberculosis; he survived only a further three weeks after its completion.

The hymn is a prayer for God to remain present with the speaker throughout life, through trials, and through death. The opening line alludes to , "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent", and the penultimate verse draws on text from , "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?":

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.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, 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, Lord, 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, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

The hymn tune most often used with this hymn is "Eventide" composed by William Henry Monk in 1861.

Alternative tunes include:

The hymn is popular across many denominations, and was said to be a favourite of King George V and Mahatma Gandhi. The hymn was played by the Mysore Palace Band when Gandhi visited the Kingdom of Mysore. It is also often sung at Christian funerals. In the aftermath of the sinking of RMS Titanic, survivors reported that the Titanic's band played the hymn as the ship was sinking, although detailed studies have identified other songs played by the band. The hymn was also played at the State funeral of the titular Maharaja of Mysore, Srikanta Wadiyar.