Hymn Story: All Creatures Of Our God and King

StFrancis04

St. Francis of Assisi

All Creatures of Our God and King was written by Francis of Assisi shortly before his death in 1225.

The song was published 400 years after Francis of Assisi died. He wrote the words for a poem, Canticle of the Sun.  The poem was based on Psalms 148.   William H. Draper translated the lyrics for a children’s festival in Leeds, England.  The exact date is unknown but expected to be sometime between 1899 and 1919.  The hymn first appeared in the Public School Hymn Book in 1919.

The tune is set to an Easter hymn, “Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich sehr“, which was published in 1623 by Friedrich Spee.

These words by Francis of Assisi are the second oldest hymn following Father We Praise Thee {written in 580AD}.

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