Lyrics:

1. For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,

(Chorus)
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,

3. For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,

Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835-1917
Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786-1872

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

“For the Beauty of the Earth” is a Christian hymn by Folliott S. Pierpoint (1835-1917).

Pierpoint was 29 at the time he wrote this hymn; he was mesmerised by the beauty of the countryside that surrounded him. It first appeared in 1864 in a book of poems entitled “The Sacrifice of Praise.”

The tune most widely used for this hymn is called Dix, composed by Conrad Kocher in 1838.

English composer John Rutter‘s composition for SATB, SA, or TTBB choir with piano/organ or orchestra accompaniment is a widely performed choral setting of this text. Another setting is by Geoffrey Shaw.^[1]

Along with such hymns as “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come“, “We Gather Together” and “Faith of Our Fathers“, this is a hymn that is often sung during the Thanksgiving holiday period in many churches in America.

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