Jesu, Lover of My Soul in Tonic Solfa

Jesu, Lover of My Soul in Tonic Solfa to ABERYSTWYTH (PARRY): the solfa with the words, staff notation, the five verses, and a piano.

The solfa with the words

Doh is F4/4

l,Je--l,sust,_dlov-r_mer-

dof-t,my-l,soul,---

dLet-t,me-l,to-se,Thy-

l,bo-t,_dsom-t,fly,---

l,While-l,thet,_dnear-r_mer-

dwa--t,ters-l,roll,---

t,While-dther_mtem--rpest-

dstill-t,is-l,high.---

l,Hide-s,me,-l,O-t,my-

dSav--miorr_dhide,---

dTill-t,the-dstorm-rof-

mlife-sisfe_mpast;---

lSafe-lin--sto-mthe-

dha--rven-mguide;---

l,Oh,-l,re-t,_dceiver_mmy-

dsoul-t,at-l,last.---

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Key: D minor
Doh: F
Time: 4/4
Starts on: l, (D)
Range: s, to l (C to D, a ninth)
Tune: ABERYSTWYTH (PARRY)
Words: Charles Wesley
Music: Joseph Parry

Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune ABERYSTWYTH (PARRY) by Joseph Parry (1841–1903); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788). Sources and licences.

The solfa line by line

The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.

Doh is F · 4/4

| l, - l, t, d r m - Jesus lover| d - t, - l, - - - |of my soul,

| d - t, - l, - se, - Let me to Thy| l, t, d - t, - - - |bosom fly,

| l, - l, t, d r m - While the nearer| d - t, - l, - - - |waters roll,

| t, - d r m - r - While the tempest| d - t, - l, - - - |still is high.

| l, - s, - l, - t, - Hide me, O my| d - m r d - - - |Savior hide,

| d - t, - d - r - Till the storm of| m - s fe m - - - |life is past;

| l - l - s - m - Safe into the| d - r - m - - - |haven guide;

| l, - l, t, d r m - Oh, receive my| d - t, - l, - - - |soul at last.

Staff notation

The melody on the treble staff in D minor, with the first verse under the notes.

The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.

The words

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Wilt Thou not regard my call?
Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—
Lo! on Thee I cast my care.
Reach me out Thy gracious hand!
While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand,
Dying, and behold, I live.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name,
Source of all true righteousness;
Thou art evermore the same,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
Rise to all eternity.

How to sing it from the solfa

Find doh first. Play or hum F and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
Pitch the first note. The tune starts on l, (D).
Count the time. 4/4 means four crotchet beats in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
Know the notes. The tune uses d r m s l t and the chromatic se fe. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.

New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.

About the hymn

Charles Wesley wrote the words, first published in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1740. The tune, ABERYSTWYTH (PARRY), is by Joseph Parry (1879).

Words (1740): Charles Wesley (1707–1788)
Music (1879): Joseph Parry (1841–1903)

Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune ABERYSTWYTH (PARRY) by Joseph Parry (1841–1903); words by Charles Wesley (1707–1788). The Open Hymnal Project publishes this tune as public domain; NoteFusion's engine wrote the solfa from its notes. The melody has not yet been checked against a printed hymn book.

Sung to the same tune: Savior When in Dust to Thee.

Questions about Jesu, Lover of My Soul

What is the doh of Jesu, Lover of My Soul?

In this version, in D minor, doh is F. If your choir sings it in another key, doh moves to the new key note and every solfa syllable stays the same — that is what movable doh means.

What note does Jesu, Lover of My Soul start on?

It starts on l, (D in D minor). Find doh first, then sing up or down to l,.

Is Jesu, Lover of My Soul in the public domain?

Yes. Charles Wesley died in 1788, Joseph Parry died in 1903; the words were first published in 1740 and the music in 1879. Everyone named died before 1955 and both were published before 1929, so the hymn is out of copyright in the UK, the EU, the United States and Nigeria. Modern arrangements and translations can still be under copyright.