This hymn was made famous by George Beverly Shea during the Billy Graham Crusade in London.
HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power through-out the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin:
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God. how great Thou art!
by Pastor Carl Boberg
The Original Swedish lyrics, titled "O, Store Gud" and written in 1886
were inspired by a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast
coast of Sweden. Pastor Carl Boberg was suddenly caught in a midday
thunderstorm with awe inspiring moments of flashing violence, followed
by a clear brilliant sun. Soon afterwards he heard the calm sweet songs
of the birds in nearby trees. The experience prompted the pastor to
fall to his knees in humble adoration of his mighty God. (Osbeck 133)
As the result of this experience he wrote a 9 stanza poem, and several
years later at a conference, was surprised to hear his poem sung to the
tune of an old Swedish folk melody. It was translated into German, then
a literal translation by an American in 1925: "O Mighty God, When I
behold the Wonder." The song was also translated from German to Russian
in 1927. Missionary Stuart Hine, inspired by the Russian words coupled
with the awesome sights of the Carpathian mountains, wrote the first
three English verses, the fourth came after WW II.