Safe in the Arms of Jesus in Tonic Solfa
Safe in the Arms of Jesus in Tonic Solfa to REFUGE: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the three verses and the refrain, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mSafe-rin-,dthes,arms-dof- | mJe---f_msus,--- |
| sSafe-lon-,sHismgen--dtle- | rbreast;-----__ |
| mThere-rby-,dHiss,love-do’er-- | mshad---f_sed,--- |
| sSweet-f_mlyrmydsoul-t,shall- | drest.-----__ |
| rHark!-r’tis-,mthervoice-rof- | ran----sgels--- |
| feBorne-fein-,feamsong-rto- | rme---s_--- |
| rO--rver-,mtherfields-sof- | sglo----mry,--- |
| rO--fever-,stheljas--feper- | ssea---f_--- |
| mSafe-rin-,dthes,arms-dof- | mJe---f_msus,--- |
| sSafe-lon-,sHismgen--dtle- | rbreast;-----__ |
| mThere-rby-,dHiss,love-do’er-- | mshad---f_sed,--- |
| sSweet-f_mlyrmydsoul-t,shall- | drest.----- |
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Download the solfa (PDF)A4, free to print and share with your choir
- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 4/4
- Starts on
- m (B)
- Range
- s, to l (D to E, a ninth)
- Tune
- REFUGE
- Words
- Fanny Crosby
- Music
- William H. Doane
Tune REFUGE by William H. Doane (1832–1915); words by Fanny Crosby (1820–1915). 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 G · 4/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in G major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels
Borne in a song to me,
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea.
Refrain
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations;
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears!
Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum G 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 m (B).
- 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. A cell split by a comma holds two quarter beats: d -,r is a dotted quaver and a semiquaver, d,r two semiquavers. That comma sits between two syllables; an octave mark sits small and low against its own letter (s,).
- 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
Fanny Crosby wrote the words in 1868 for a tune William H. Doane had written, published the same year.
- Words (1868): Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)
- Music (1868): William H. Doane (1832–1915)
Tune REFUGE by William H. Doane (1832–1915); words by Fanny Crosby (1820–1915).
Questions about Safe in the Arms of Jesus
What is the doh of Safe in the Arms of Jesus?
In this version, in G major, doh is G. 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 Safe in the Arms of Jesus start on?
It starts on m (B in G major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Safe in the Arms of Jesus in the public domain?
Yes. Fanny Crosby died in 1915, William H. Doane died in 1915; the words were first published in 1868 and the music in 1868. 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.