How Great Thou Art...

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hand hath made,

I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,

thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art! how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour 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: 

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art! how great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to thee,
how great thou art!  

how... great.... thou.... art!

From Wikipedia:

Carl Boberg, The Author of the Poem which was later put to music said:

"It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.

"When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of 'When eternity's clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest.' That evening, I wrote the song, 'O Store Gud.'"

This is the partial story of the Hymn we love so much...to read more go to Wikipedia.  It would seem that the song has progressed over the course of many years giving us the gem we know today.