Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee in Tonic Solfa
Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee: Tonic Solfa to FREU DICH SEHR, O MEINE SEELE (doh is F), staff notation and 12 verses.
The solfa with the words
| dLet---rnot-msuch---ra- | dthought-t,e’er-l,pain---s,thee--- |
| dAs---rthat-mthou---fart- | mcast---ra----dway,--- |
| dBut---rwith--min---rGod’s- | dWord-t,re--l,strain---s,thee,--- |
| dThat---rfar-moth----fer-- | mwise---rdoth---dsay.--- |
| mE’en---mthough-sthou---fun-- | mright--reous-mart,---____ |
| sTrue---sand-lfaith----sful- | fis-mGod’s-rheart.---____ |
| mHast---sthou-fdeath---mde-- | dserved-rfor--mev----der?--- |
| mGod’s---map--fpeased,---mde-- | rspond-dthou-t,nev----der!--- |
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- Key
- F major
- Doh
- F
- Time
- 6/4
- Starts on
- d (F)
- Range
- s, to l (C to D, a ninth)
- Tune
- FREU DICH SEHR, O MEINE SEELE
- Words
- Paul Gerhardt, John Kelly
- Music
- From Trente Quatre Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1551
Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune FREU DICH SEHR, O MEINE SEELE (From Trente Quatre Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1551); words by Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676); translated by John Kelly (1833–1890). 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 · 6/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in F major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Let not such a thought e’er pain thee
As that thou art cast away,
But within God’s Word restrain thee,
That far otherwise doth say.
E’en though thou unrighteous art,
True and faithful is God’s heart.
Hast thou death deserved forever?
God’s appeased, despond thou never!
Thou art, as is every other,
Tainted by the poison sin,
That the Serpent and our father
Adam, by the Fall, brought in.
But if God’s voice thou dost hear,
“Turn to Me, do good,” ne’er fear,
Be of good cheer, He thy yearning
Will regard, thy prayer ne’er spurning.
He is not a bear or lion
Thirsting only for thy blood,
Faithful is thy God in Zion,
Gentle ever is His mood.
God aye as a Father feels,
He’s afflicted by our ills;
Our misfortune sorrow gives Him,
And our dying ever grieves Him.
“Truly,” saith He, “as I’m living,
I the death of none desire,
But that men, themselves upgiving,
May be rescued from sin’s mire.”
When a prodigal returns,
God’s heart then with rapture burns,
Wills that not the least one even
Ever from His flock be driven.
Shepherd was so faithful never,
Seeking sheep that go astray.
Couldest thou God’s heart see ever
How He cares for them alway,
How it thirsts and sighs and burns
After him who from Him turns,
From His people’s midst doth wander,
Love would make thee weep and ponder.
God the good not only loveth,
Those who in His house now dwell,
But His heart compassion moveth
For those whom the Prince of hell
Hath enslaved, the cruel foe,
Who men’s hearts with hate to glow
Makes ’gainst Him, who when He ever
Moves His foot, can make earth quiver.
Deep His love and most enduring,
His desire is ever great;
He is calling and alluring
Us to enter heaven’s gate.
When they come, whoe’er they be,
Seeking now that liberty
From the devil’s fangs be given,
Glad are all the hosts of heaven.
God and all those with Him dwelling,
’Fore whom heaven must hush its voice
When their Maker’s praise forth telling,
O’er our penitence rejoice;
But what has been done amiss
Covered now and buried is,
All offense to Him we’ve given,—
All, yea all, is now forgiven.
From no lake so much is gushing,
No depth is so deep at all,
With such force no stream is rushing,
All compared with God is small;
Naught is like His grace so great,
That remits our mighty debt,
That He ever throweth over
All our lives e’en as a cover.
Soul, why art thou sad and dreary?
Rest now and contented be!
Why wilt thou thyself so weary
When there is no need for thee?
Though thy sins appear to thee
Like a vast and shoreless sea,
If with God’s heart thou compare them,
’Twill a trifle seem to bear them.
Could we myriad worlds discover,
All sunk in apostasy,
Had the sins there o’er and over
Every one been done by thee,
Oh! still there were less by far
Than the light of grace so clear
Could on earth extinguish ever,
God from greater could deliver.
Of such wondrous love and favor
Open wide the door to me;
Everywhere and aye, my Savior,
Tasted be Thy grace by me.
Love me, Lord, and let me be
Nearer ever drawn to Thee
That I may embrace and love Thee,
Nevermore to anger move Thee.
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 d (F).
- Count the time. 6/4 means six crotchet beats (two dotted minims) 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 f s l t. 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
Paul Gerhardt wrote these words in German. John Kelly's translation was printed in the Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book (St. Louis, 1927), as hymn 506.
The book printed the words without tunes, marked 8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8, to be sung to any tune of that metre. This page sets them to FREU DICH SEHR, O MEINE SEELE; any other 8.7.8.7.7.7.8.8 tune fits them as well.
- Words: Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676)
- Translated: John Kelly (1833–1890)
- Melody (1551): From Trente Quatre Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1551
Melody from the Open Hymnal Project (public domain), edited by Brian J. Dumont; tune FREU DICH SEHR, O MEINE SEELE (From Trente Quatre Pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1551); words by Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676); translated by John Kelly (1833–1890). 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: Comfort, Comfort Ye My People.
Questions about Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee
What is the doh of Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee?
In this version, in F major, 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 Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee start on?
It starts on d (F in F major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to d.
Is Let Not Such a Thought E’er Pain Thee in the public domain?
Yes. Paul Gerhardt died in 1676, John Kelly died in 1890; the words were in print by 1927 and the music in 1551. 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.