Latest Vital Sparks. Thou art pitiful and kind: Semantic drift in The Sacred Harp, part 1

[Will Fitzgerald]

My latest Vital Sparks, thanks to Rowan Simms.

Vital Sparks: Thou art pitiful and kind

Semantic Drift in The Sacred Harp, part 1

Find it at: https://vitalsparks.beehiiv.com/p/vital-sparks-thou-art-pitiful-and-kind

And send me your examples!

Best,

Will

[Karen Willard]

The tune PISGAH is on pg 58 in the Cooper Sacred Harp and the phrase with the Denson word "bowels" says "in the fullness of thy love".

Karen Willard

--
--
Google Groups "Fasola Discussions" Email List
FAQ: http://ej345.com/fasola/Fasola-Discussions-FAQ.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Fasola Discussions" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to fasola-discussi...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/b3caa01c-7dc0-4d7b-8d69-10d476516152n%40googlegroups.com.

[Will Fitzgerald]

Karen,

Do you know when that change was first made in the Cooper edition? 

Will

[Karen Willard]

It is that way in the very first edition, 1902.

Karen

[Matt Bell]

Great example on Arbacoochee.  Not in the SH, but there's also this one: https://hymnary.org/text/lord_at_thy_feet_in_dust_i_lie  "O may thy bowels move."

Matt Bell

--

[Brady Santoro]

I would contend that the greatest Dr. Watts-ism of them all can be found in the rather infamous "Cha­ri­ty to the poor; or, pi­ty to the af­flict­ed", from his 1719 edition of the Psalms (here Psalm 41, as also rendered, with less pathos, in the Old and New Versions). With the revival chorus "Halle, hallelujah, my God has set me free" that is sometimes added to this song, it is very clear why the speaker is "afflicted". He expresses, of course, a very noble sentiment in this text and one that is quite true to the original, but as our friends at Hymnary.org have demonstrated, it would be hard to use this hymn in contemporary worship, as heartfelt as it may be. For those of you who are well familiar with this gem, here it is again, but if you have not encountered it before, below are the first two verses.

Blest is the man whose bow­els move,
And melt with pi­ty to the poor,
Whose soul by sym­pa­thiz­ing love,
Feels what his fel­low saints en­dure.

His heart con­trives for their re­lief
More good than his own hands can do;
He in the time of ge­ne­ral grief,
Shall find the Lord has bow­els, too.

In the bowels of mutual love,

B.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/CALE2u7rBg5-KEcYAObX2GYXuHYhSiO5LhXGftyt_EBo4cWSPCQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Jim Pfau]

When I pointed this out to one of our local singers many years ago, he shouted out, in mock astonishment, "COOPER'S GOT NO BOWELS!"

Jim

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/CAGgNWOck-0_J8W7aidYCzGJdd%3DRuC%3DYL5yV%2BOhy0553Bd43HSw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Micah Walter]

Thank you, Will, for starting this interesting discussion!

I'd like to turn my attention away from more obvious cases towards the more subtle instances of semantic drift that pervade the texts in The Sacred Harp. There are many words for which the drift is relatively small, or for which the meaning in The Sacred Harp is not actually obsolete, just not as common in modern North American usage. As someone who has in fact been immersed in older writings from a young age, and for whom most of these instances of drift don't even register unless I actively think about it, I probably fail to appreciate how striking they may be to some other singers, or perhaps even how much of the sense of the words is lost in translation.

Here's a short list, just from going through some songs in my own mind. Again, most of these meanings are still alive in certain contexts or expressions, but I imagine there are also many English speakers who wouldn't arrive at these meanings without consciously thinking about it.

alternate (accent on second syllable) – alternating
bar – place of judgment
breast – chest; heart (metaphorical)
confess – speak out
conspire – join together (neutral connotation)
corn – grain
fix – establish
gay – merry
nor – and not
past – passed (a past participial form that is starting to adopt its ossified meaning)
proper – own
quick – living
quit – leave
remove – leave
set (in SERMON ON THE MOUNT) – seated
severe – stern
shade(s) – region(s) of darkness; shadow(s)
shrink – cower, retreat
sure – secure
vain – empty

Of course, semantic drift is completely separate from the question of grammatical change – another topic altogether, although the two sometimes work in tandem!

Micah

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/CAM0oAgpHOwVuMKNsup8_XtPM%3DJSLk8S%2BDb4jVdB6%2BsVFX2TvYQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Barry Johnston]

From the Preface to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, 1971:

"A major reason for revision of the King James Version, which is valid for both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is the change since 1611 in English usage. Many forms of expression have become archaic, while still generally intelligible—the use of thou, thee, thy, thine and the verb endings -est and -edst, the verb endings -eth and -th, it came to pass that, whosoever, whatsoever, insomuch that, because that, for that, unto, howbeit, peradventure, holden, aforetime, must needs, would fain, behooved, to you-ward, etc. Other words are obsolete and no longer understood by the common reader. The greatest problem, however, is presented by the English words which are still in constant use but now convey a different meaning from that which they had in 1611 and in the King James Version. These words were once accurate translations of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures; but now, having changed in meaning, they have become misleading. They no longer say what the King James translators meant them to say.

Thus, the King James Version uses the word “let” in the sense of “hinder,” “prevent” to mean “precede,” “allow” in the sense of “approve,” “communicate” for “share,” “conversation” for “conduct,” “comprehend” for “overcome,” “ghost” for “spirit,” “wealth” for “well-being,” “allege” for “prove,” “demand” for “ask,” “take no thought” for “be not anxious,” etc."

At least this may provide some additions to your word list. I hope this is helpful in your discussion.

The KJV was dominant in English-speaking countries from its first publication in 1611 at least until the 1950s, and remains influential today. The KJV has been a most influential book on the English language, and of course influential on the faith of many Christians. But the KJV was dependent on the first printed English Bible, that of William Tyndale, first edition of the New Testament in 1528. It is estimated that 80-85% of the words in the KJV New Testament are from Tyndale (Tyndale's New Testament, Second Edition 1534, edited by David Daniell, Yale University Press, 1989). In a few years some of us will celebrate the 500th anniversary of this landmark publication.

Barry Johnston

Gunnison, Colorado, USA

[Haruo (Leland)]

I'm not sure if this is a semantic shift thing or what, but I was just looking at hymns pertinent to the Malachi lection coming up on 11/9, and ran across this Charles Wesley hymn I'd never seen before, which has me wondering what the exact meaning is intended by the use of the phrase "contented now, upon my thigh I halt..." I don't think it would ever occur to me to say I was "halting upon my thigh". It's certainly a text I could see pairing with a fasola tune.

1 The Sun of Righteousness on me
Hath risen with healing in his wings:
Withered my nature's strength, from thee
My soul its life and succor brings;
My help is all laid up above;
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

2 Contented now, upon my thigh
I halt till life's short journey end;
All helplessness, all weakness, I
On thee alone for strength depend:
Nor have I power from thee to move:
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

3 Lame as I am, I take the prey;
Hell, earth, and sin with ease o'ercome;
I leap for joy, pursue my way,
And as a bounding hart, fly home
To all eternity, to prove
Thy nature and thy name is Love.

[Antonio James Higgins]

I believe to halt meant to limp! False friend for sure. Ward on Words talks about words in the KJV that we don't know we don't know on his YouTube page.

Sincerely,

Antonio J. Higgins

https://antoniojhiggins.com

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/36b1db18-cfcb-4a92-8213-80868ce8bb1bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Haruo (Leland)]

Of course, as soon as I had posted that, I realized that I actually had seen, and even sung, this text; it's a cento from Wrestling Jacob ("Come, O Thou Traveller Unknown"). Which I've sung both in shapes and in (roundnote) church. And which Watts said was as great an accomplishment as all his hymns together or some such overboard praise. Anybody have a four-shape score of STELLA (Hemy) handy? 

or of this EATON?

[Haruo (Leland)]

Thanks, Antonio James Higgins, that explains it. I'm accustomed to "halt" in that sense in other constructions (e.g. to describe some one as halt (adjectivally), or as having a "halting gait"), but I don't recall seeing it as a straight-on verb before; the verb "to halt" means, to me and I think to most, "to come (or bring) to a stop." It occurs to me too that it's probably related to the "halter" one uses to limit the friskiness of horses.

[Robert Vaughn]

Charles Wesley there alludes to:

Genesis 32:31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he [Jacob] halted [limped] upon his thigh.

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Blessings,

Robert Vaughn 

Mount Enterprise, TX

http://baptistsearch.blogspot.com 

Ask for the old paths, where is the good way

http://mtcarmelbaptist.blogspot.com 

For ask now of the days that are past...

http://oldredland.blogspot.com 

Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/76fceef5-b140-4b58-b411-381900e7ec07n%40googlegroups.com

.

[Fulton, Erin]

Since, as Leland points out, the strophe in question is excerpted from the magisterial "Come, O thou traveler unknown," the specific choice of language can surely be credited to the biblical passage being "riffed on," as well as to the time period of composition. The speaker in that hymn, of course, applies the story of "wrestling Jacob" to his own spiritual struggle throughout. So the thigh refers to Jacob's God-given (or angel-delivered!) leg wound, and it would not at all surprise me if "halt" is a deliberate dual meaning on Wesley's part. The "halt and lame" sense seems the more literal or surface-level one to me, but Jacob's wound also causes him, after the mighty struggle with the angel, to stop ("halt") his wrestling.

When parsing a difficult passage, hymnodic or otherwise, the couplet "Wrestling, I will not let thee go / Till I thy name, thy nature know" has been known to filter unbidden through my mind ( ; It really is a remarkably elegant hymn. And was s favorite of my Auntie Heather's, to boot.

Best,

E. Fulton.

---

From: 'Robert Vaughn' via Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 10:09 PM
To: Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>; Haruo (Leland) <rosh...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [fasola-discussions] Latest Vital Sparks. Thou art pitiful and kind: Semantic drift in The Sacred Harp, part 1

 

CAUTION: External Sender

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/666498564.1325250.1761703797375%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Steve Nickolas]

On Tue, 28 Oct 2025, Haruo (Leland) wrote:

> I'm not sure if this is a semantic shift thing or what, but I was just
> looking at hymns pertinent to the Malachi lection coming up on 11/9, and
> ran across this Charles Wesley hymn I'd never seen before, which has me
> wondering what the exact meaning is intended by the use of the phrase
> "contented now, upon my thigh I halt..." I don't think it would ever occur
> to me to say I was "halting upon my thigh". It's certainly a text I could
> see pairing with a fasola tune.
>
> 1 The Sun of Righteousness on me
> Hath risen with healing in his wings:
> Withered my nature's strength, from thee
> My soul its life and succor brings;
> My help is all laid up above;
> Thy nature and thy name is Love.
>
> 2

> *Contented now, upon my thighI halt *till life's short journey end;

> All helplessness, all weakness, I
> On thee alone for strength depend:
> Nor have I power from thee to move:
> Thy nature and thy name is Love.
>
> 3 Lame as I am, I take the prey;
> Hell, earth, and sin with ease o'ercome;
> I leap for joy, pursue my way,
> And as a bounding hart, fly home
> To all eternity, to prove
> Thy nature and thy name is Love.

I'm not familiar with those verses, but that's "Come, O thou Traveller
unknown" - one of my favorite hymns. The phrase comes directly from
Genesis 32.31 (makes sense, the hymn is a paraphrase of Genesis 32).

I actually wonder if CANDLER, the tune I usually associate with that,
would work in the Sacred Harp style. It's a pentatonic Scottish folk
tune.

-uso.

[Wade Kotter]

Here's the full text of the original 14 verse text:

https://archive.org/details/bim_eighteenth-century_hymns-and-sacred-poems-_wesley-john_1742/page/114/mode/2up

Wade

Dr. Wade Kotter

Retired Librarian

Independent Hymnologist and Unrestrained Loud Treble

South Ogden, UT

"Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord" 

--
--
Google Groups "Fasola Discussions" Email List
FAQ: http://ej345.com/fasola/Fasola-Discussions-FAQ.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Fasola Discussions" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to fasola-discussi...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/alpine.DEB.2.21.2510282344520.7576%40sd-119843.dedibox.fr.

[j frankel]

"Candler" is better known to singers as "The Fair Flower of Northumberland".

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/fasola-discussions/1420569019.2044436.1761743623788%40mail.yahoo.com.