Not to Ourselves, Who Are but Dust in Tonic Solfa

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.

Staff notation

The melody on the treble staff in Eb major, with the first verse under the notes.

The words

How to sing it from the solfa

• Find doh first. Play or hum Eb 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 s (B♭), on the word “Not”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
• 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 f s l t and the chromatic 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

Isaac Watts wrote these words for The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament (1719): Psalm 115, part 1, headed “The true God our refuge; or, Idolatry reproved”.

Watts' psalms were printed without tunes and sung to any tune of their metre, Long Metre (8.8.8.8). This page sets the words to MELCOMBE; any other Long Metre tune fits them as well.

• Words (1719): Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
• Music (1782): Samuel Webbe (1740–1816)

Tune MELCOMBE by Samuel Webbe (1740–1816); words by Isaac Watts (1674–1748).

Sung to the same tune: "Let There Be Light!" — When from on High, A Glance from Heav'n, with Sweet Effect, All Mortal Vanities, Be Gone, Almighty Father, Heav’n and Earth, Among Th' Assemblies of the Great, As Some Tall Rock Amidst the Waves, As the Sweet Flower That Scents the Morn, At God's Command, the Morning Ray, At Thy Command, Our Dearest Lord, Awake, My Soul, to Joyful Lays, Awake, Our Souls, Away, Our Fears, Be with Me, Lord, Where'er I Go, Behold How Sinners Disagree, Blest Hour, When Mortal Man Retires, Brethren in Christ, and Well-beloved, Brethren, Beloved for Jesus' Sake, Bury'd in Shadows of the Night, By Thine Own Hand the Gift Was Given, Come, Jesus, from the Sapphire Throne, Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast, David Rejoic'd in God His Strength, Deem Not That They Are Blessed Alone, Deem Not That They Are Blest Alone, Does It Not Grief, and Wonder Move, Ere Mountains Reared Their Forms Sublime, Eternal God! Almighty Cause, Eternal Spirit! We Confess, From Age to Age Exalt His Name, From Deep Distress and Troubled Thoughts, From Every Stormy Wind That Blows, From Heaven the Sinning Angels Fell, From Worship, Now, Thy Church Dismiss, From Year to Year in Love We Meet, Give Thanks to God; He Reigns Above, God of My Life, What Just Return, God of Our Life! Thy Constant Care, God of the Morning, at Whose Voice, God of the Poor! Whose Listening Ear, God Who in Various Methods Told, God, the Offended God Most High, God, with One Piercing Glance, Looks Through, Great God, to What a Glorious Height, Great God, Whose Universal Sway, Great God! as Seasons Disappear, Great Shepherd of Thine Israel, Had Not the Lord, May Israel Say, He That Hath Made His Refuge God, Help Us, O Lord! Thy Yoke to Wear, Holy as Thou, O Lord, Is None, Hosanna to King David's Son, How Vast the Treasure We Possess, How Welcome to the Soul, When Pressed, If Love, the Noblest, Purest, Best, In Thine Own Ways, O God of Love, In Vain Would Boasting Reason Find, Invited, Lord, by Boundless Grace, Jesus Demands This Heart of Mine, Jesus, from Whom All Blessings Flow, Judge Me, O Lord, and Prove My Ways, Kindred in Christ, for His Dear Sake, Let Me but Hear My Saviour Say, Let Not the Wise Their Wisdom Boast, Lo! What a Glorious Corner-stone, Lord Jesus Christ, True Man and God, Lord, I Despair Myself to Heal, Lord, Now We Part in Thy Blest Name, Lord, Thou Hast Search'd and Seen Me Thro', Lord, When Thou Didst Ascend on High, Lord! When Thy People Seek Thy Face, May Thy Bright Spirit, as of Old, My God, Accept My Early Vows, My God, How Endless Is Thy Love, My God, I Now from Sleep Awake, My God, Permit Me Not to Be, My God! in Morning's Radiant Hour, My Soul No More Shall Strive in Vain, My Soul Once Had Its Plenteous Years, Mysterious Are the Ways of God, New Every Morning Is the Love, Now Be My Heart Inspir'd to Sing, Now Christ the God to Earth Hath Come, Now Christ, the Very Son of God, Now Let the Lord My Saviour Smile, O David's Son, and David's Lord, O God of Grace and Righteousness, O God of Love, Whose Mercy Came, O God of Love! with Cheering Ray, O God, My Helper, Ever Near, O Lord! Whose Forming Hand One Blood, O May My Soul, Uncrushed by Care, O Render Thanks to God Above, O Suffering Friend of Human Kind, O Thou, at Whose Almighty Word, O Thou, Whose Presence Went Before, Omniscient God, 'Tis Thine to Know, Once, While We Aimed at Zion's Songs, Pass a Few Swiftly-fleeting Years, Praise Ye the Lord, Around Whose Throne, Praise Ye the Lord, Exalt His Name, Praise Ye the Lord; 'Tis Good to Raise, Praise, Everlasting Praise Be Paid, Prayer Is to God the Soul's Sure Way, Quickened with Our Immortal Head, Rejoice, Ye Sons of Men Alway, Return, My Soul, unto Thy Rest, Salvation Is for Ever Nigh, Shepherd of Souls, with Pitying Eye, Sing to the Lord That Built the Skies, Sing to the Lord with Joyful Voice, So Let Our Lips and Lives Express, Spirit of God, in Love Descend, Stay, Thou Insulted Spirit, Stay, Supreme and Universal Light, Sweet Is the Light of Sabbath Eve, Sweet Is the Work, My God My King, Teach Me, O Teach Me, Lord! Thy Way, The Billows Swell the Winds Are High, The God Who Once to Israel Spoke, The Lord, How Wondrous Are His Ways, The Wandering Star and Fleeting Wind, Then the Apostle Wonders Wrought, There Is a God — All Nature Speaks, There Is a Pure and Peaceful Wave, They Cried, "Let Him Be Crucified!", This Is the Word of Truth and Love, Thou God That Answerest by Fire, Thou Saviour of Our Sinful Race, Thou Whom My Soul Admires Above, Thou, Blest Creator of the Light, Though Wandering in a Stranger-land, Thro' Every Age, Eternal God, Thy Presence, Ever Living God, Thy Soul, O Jesus, Hallow Me, Thy Works, O God, Thy Name Extol, To God, the Great, the Ever Blest, Unto Thy Temple, God of Love, Unveil Thy Bosom, Faithful Tomb, Up, Up, My Soul! with Gladness Rise, Upon the Gospel's Sacred Page, We Bid Thee Welcome in the Name, We Follow, Lord, Where Thou Dost Lead, When God Is Nigh, My Faith Is Strong, When Peter Through the Tedious Night, When the Great Builder Arch'd the Skies, While I Keep Silence, and Conceal, While Now upon This Sabbath Eve, Why Did the Jews Proclaim Their Rage, With All My Powers of Heart and Tongue, Yea, as I Live, Jehovah Saith.