Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

In England, the writer understands this song to be sung often at the festival "Harvest Home."  In America, Thanksgiving is the usual occasion for the singing of this hymn which is by nature of its lyrics rather seasonal in nature.  The problem:  some little-used and biblical agricultural terms.

Original lyrics:

Come, YE thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker DOTH provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field,
  or:  We ourselves are God's own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and TARES together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full CORN shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the TARES to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the GARNER evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring THY final harvest home;
gather THOU THY people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in THY presence to abide;
come, with all THINE angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.

Lyrics by Henry Alford

Comments and Suggestions:

"Corn" refers to any kind of kernal here, not maize, and this is all the more confusing to American singers given the reference to "ears," which Americans again associate particularly with maize instead of other grains.  Most would have no clue what a "garner" is, especially given the unusual use in noun form, and the poetic metaphor of a silo/grainery does not translate well especially as people are the ones being gathered.  (A little to much akin to the "To Serve Mankind" episode of the Twilight Zone.  Scripture tells us we will be gathered to mansions or heavenly homes, and so that wording has been chosen here.

Renewal lyrics:

Come, ALL thankful people, come,
SING the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in;
NOW MAY winter storms begin.
God our Maker DOES provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
SING the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field,
  or:  We ourselves are God's own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and WEEDS together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the LEAF and then the BLOOM,
then the KERNEL’S RIPE PERFUME;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the WEEDS to cast;
but the fruitful GRAIN to store
in HIS MANSIONS evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring YOUR final harvest home;
gather ALL YOUR people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in YOUR presence to abide;
come, with all YOUR angels, come,
BRING YOUR glorious harvest home.

Renewal lyric changes by RH Reinhard (c) 2014