Wednesday, October 23

You might think I would be used to seeing sunrises each fall when the sun has moved to a position that means we can watch it from our living room window. However, I still watch them with awe and feel like I should be singing, “Morning Has Broken.”

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s recreation of the new day

“Morning Has Broken” is a Christian hymn first published in 1931.

It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and was inspired by the village of Alfriston in East Sussex, then set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune, “Bunessan”.

Eleanor Farjeon

English pop musician and folk singer Cat Stevens included a version on his 1971 album Teaser and the Firecat. The song became identified with Stevens due to the popularity of this recording.