All Creatures of Our God and King
Words: Francis of Assisi, c. 1225; tr. William H. Draper, 1899 (pub. 1919) · Tune "Lasst uns erfreuen," 1623 · Public domain
Free: the 1-5-6-4 in all 12 keys, on one large-print sheet. Get it free →
Verse 1
FAll creatures of our DmGod Gm7and CKing,
Flift up Edimyour Fvoice and Dmwith Gm7us Csing:
FAlle-Bblu-Fia! DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia!
FThou burning Dm7sun C7with Fgold-Bben Csus4beam,
Fthou sil-G7ver Fmoon Bbwith Fsoft-Bber Fgleam,
BbO praise Fhim! Gm7O Bbpraise Dmhim!
DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia! Dm7Al-Amle-Dmlu-Cia! GmAl-Fle-Bblu-Fia!
Verse 2
FThou rushing wind that Dmart Gm7so Cstrong,
Fye clouds Edimthat Fsail in Dmheav'n Gm7a-Clong,
FO Bbpraise Fhim! DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia!
FThou rising Dm7morn, C7in Fpraise Bbre-Csus4joice,
Fye lights G7of Feve-Bbning, Ffind Bba Fvoice:
BbO praise Fhim! Gm7O Bbpraise Dmhim!
DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia! Dm7Al-Amle-Dmlu-Cia! GmAl-Fle-Bblu-Fia!
Verse 3
FThou flowing water, Dmpure Gm7and Cclear,
Fmake mu-Edimsic Ffor thy DmLord Gm7to Chear,
FAlle-Bblu-Fia! DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia!
FThou fire so Dm7mas-C7ter-Fful Bband Csus4bright,
Fthat giv-G7est Fman Bbboth Fwarmth Bband Flight:
BbO praise Fhim! Gm7O Bbpraise Dmhim!
DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia! Dm7Al-Amle-Dmlu-Cia! GmAl-Fle-Bblu-Fia!
Verse 4
FLet all things their Cre-Dma-Gm7tor Cbless,
Fand wor-Edimship Fhim in Dmhum-Gm7ble-Cness,
FO Bbpraise Fhim! DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia!
FPraise, praise the Dm7Fa-C7ther, Fpraise Bbthe Csus4Son,
Fand praise G7the FSpir-Bbit, FThree Bbin FOne:
BbO praise Fhim! Gm7O Bbpraise Dmhim!
DmAl-Cle-Flu-Cia! Dm7Al-Amle-Dmlu-Cia! GmAl-Fle-Bblu-Fia!
Chords in the key of F
- F
- Dm
- Gm7
- C
- Edim
- Bb
- Dm7
- C7
- Csus4
- G7
- Am
- Gm
About this hymn
- Words
- Francis of Assisi, 1225, paraphrased in English by William Henry Draper, around 1910, published 1919
- Music
- LASST UNS ERFREUEN, 17th century German melody, composer unknown
- Meter
- 8.8.4.4.8.8 with refrain
- In
- 317 hymnals
- Scripture
- Psalm 148, Psalm 145, Job 12:7-10
The story
Francis of Assisi wrote the Italian original in the summer of 1225. He was nearly blind by then, living in a small shelter near San Damiano. People know it as the Canticle of the Sun. What we sing in English is not a straight translation. William Henry Draper made a paraphrase around 1910 for a children's Pentecost festival in Leeds, about seven hundred years after Francis. It waited until 1919 to reach print, in The Public School Hymn Book. The tune is a third thread altogether. LASST UNS ERFREUEN is a German melody from the 1600s, composer unknown, and it got joined to Draper's words long after either one was made.
Where it fits in a service
Often used as an opening hymn or a processional, and in services about creation and thanksgiving. The alleluias give a choir something to lean into, so it fits a big Sunday.
Free: four chords in every key
Get the 1-5-6-4 in all 12 keys, free. It is one large-print sheet with the four chords under a lot of the songs you already know. You also get my three-chord starter guide, and one email when a new hymn goes up. It assumes you do not read music.
No cost, and unsubscribe from any email.
Take it further
This hymn in three keys, and 49 more
The 50 Hymns for the Church Pianist collection has this hymn in three keys with every verse, a Sunday Version with gospel moves, and big keyboard pictures. Large print and regular print.
See the collection →All 21 in one printed book
The Hymn & Carol Chord Chart Book puts 21 hymns and carols on paper, chords over the words, with a lead sheet and the story behind each one. Full-size pages for the music stand.
See it on Amazon →Print this hymn
The same chart as a clean one-page PDF — with large-print lyrics, a guitar chart and a Nashville number chart of the same hymn.
See the printable set →Why these chords work
Gospel Piano Chords by Ear is the book behind these charts — how to hear the I, IV and V, and how to move between them without reading music.
About the book →Learn it with Henry
Online lessons, by ear, from the author of the book — a camera on the keys and this hymn ready for Sunday.
About lessons →