Flee As a Bird

Original lyrics:

Flee as a bird to your mountain,
THOU who ART weary of sin;
Go to the clear flowing fountain
Where you may wash and be clean.
Fly, for th’avenger is near THEE;
Call and the Savior will hear THEE;
He on His bosom will bear THEE,
O THOU who ART weary of sin,
O THOU who ART weary of sin.

He will protect THEE forever,
Wipe ev’ry falling tear;
He will forsake THEE, O never,
Sheltered so tenderly there.
Haste, then, the hours are a-flying,
Spend not the moments in sighing,
Cease from your** sorrow and crying:
The Savior will wipe every tear,
The Savior will wipe every tear.

Lyrics by Mary S.B. Dana, 1842

Comments and Suggestions:

Note inconsistency in original lyric in the use of thee/you.  The lyric in v.2 should have used “thy” unless a plural reference was intended.

Renewal lyrics:

“Flee as a bird to your mountain!”
YOU who ARE weary of sin?  [NO,]
Go to the clear flowing fountain
Where you may wash and be clean.
Fly, for th’ ENEMY is near YOU;
Call and the Savior will hear YOU;
He on His bosom will bear YOU,
O YOU who ARE weary of sin,
O YOU who ARE weary of sin.
[or 2d time: O ALL who ARE weary of sin]

He will protect YOU forever,
Wipe ev’ry falling tear;
He will forsake YOU, O never,
Sheltered so tenderly there.
Haste, then, the hours are a-flying,
Spend not the moments in sighing,
Cease from your sorrow and crying:
The Savior will wipe every tear,
The Savior will wipe every tear.
[or 2d time: OUR DEAR LORD will wipe ev’ry tear.]

Renewal lyric changes by RH Reinhard (c) 2014

This minor key hymn is probably felt too mournful for many contemporary singers, but is set to a really lovely melody.  One major problem, however, is that the song makes it seem like Christians SHOULD flee to their "mountain" when weary of sin.  Although spiritual retreat is sometimes helpful, the song seems to be referencing Psalm 11:1.  In that Psalm, flight to the mountains is proposed as a course of action to be DENIED: “In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain.’” (Ps. 11:1.) The renewal version allows this to be made clear to the singer by marking this thought as a question and adding an [optional] emphatic answer (“NO!”) that is added where the melody drops in pitch at the end of the second line (originally a slur).