My Collection of Yoruba Hymns

Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems, 1749 . OLUWA mi, mo njade lo, Lati se ise ojo mi; Iwo nikan l' emi o mo, L' oro, l' ero ati n' ise. Ise t' O yan mi l' anu Re Je ki nle se tayotayo; Ki nr' oju Re n'nu ise mi, K' emi si fi ife Re han. Dabobo mi lowo 'danwo, K' O pa okan mi mo kuro Lowo aniyan  aiye yi, Ati gbogbo ifekufe. Iwo t'oju Re r' okan mi, Ma wa lowo otun mi lai, Ki nma sise lo l' ase Re, Ki nf' ise mi gbogbo fun O. Jeki nreru Re t'o fuye, Ki nma sora nigbagbogbo, Ki nma f' oju si nkan t' orun, Ki nsi mura d' ojo ogo. Ohunkohun t' O fi fun mi, Jeki nle lo fun ogo Re, Ki nf' ayo sure ije mi, Ki mba O rin titi d' orun. Source: Yoruba Baptist Hymnal #56 Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I go, My daily labor to pursue; Thee, only Thee, resolved to know In all I think or speak or do. The task Thy wisdom hath assigned, O let me cheerfully fulfill; In a...

Author unknown WO! gbogbo ile okunkun, Wo! okan mi, duro je; Gbogbo ileri ni o nso T' ojo ayo t'o l' ogo; Ojo Ayo! K' owuro re yara de! Ki India oun Afrika, K' alaigbede gbogbo ri Isegun nla t' o l' ogo ni, T' ori oke Kalfari: K' ihinrere Tan lat' ilu de ilu. Ijoba t' o wa l' okunkun, Jesu, tan 'mole fun won. Lat' ila-orun de 'wo re, K' imole le okun lo; K' irapada Ti a gba l' ofe bori. Ma tan lo, 'wo ihinrere, Ma segun lo, ma duro: K' ijoba re aiyeraiye Ma bi si, k' o si ma re; Olugbala Wa, joba gbogbo aiye. Millions groping yet in darkness Think, my heart and be thou still! Each of God's own promise tells us Of a glorious happy morn Day of gladness, day of gladness, May that day dawn on me soon Let all India and Africa Men of different tribes and creed Know the great and glorious vict'ry Freely giv'n on Calvary May the Gospel, may the Gospel, B...

Iwo ti gbogbo eda nsin L' ara erupe yi, Bi O tit obi to l'aiye! B' ogo Re ti po to!   Nigbati mo f' iyanu wo Ogo 'se Re l' oke, Osupa ti njoba l' oru, At' irawo tin tan.   Oluwa kil' enia ti 'Wo fe ma ronu re? Tab' iran re t' Iwo 'ba ma S ore to to yi fun?   Iwo ti gbogbo eda nsin L' ara erupe yi, Bi O tit obi to l' aye! B' ogo Re ti po to.

Words: Will­iam F. Lloyd, in the Tract Mag­a­zine, March 1824 . Igba wa mbe li owo Re, A fe ko wa nibe; A fi emi at' ara wa Si abe iso Re. Igba wa mbe li owo Re, Awa o se beru? Baba ki y'o je k' omo Re, Sokun li ainidi. Igba wa mbe li owo Re, 'Wo l' a o gbekele; Tit' a o f' aiye osi 'le T' a o si r' ogo Re. Igba wa mbe li owo Re Ngo ma simi le O, Lehin iku, low, otun Re. L' em o wa titi lai. Source: Yoruba Baptist Hymnal #328 My times are in Thy hand; My God, I wish them there; My life, my friends, my soul I leave Entirely to Thy care. My times are in Thy hand; Whatever they may be; Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, As best may seem to Thee. My times are in Thy hand; Why should I doubt or fear? My Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear. My times are in Thy hand, Jesus, the crucified! Those hands my cruel sins had pierced Are now my guard and guide. My times are in Thy hand,...

Words: Elizabeth Codner, 1860 Oluwa, mo gbo pe Iwo Nro ojo 'bukun kiri; Itunu fun okan are, Ro ojo re s' ori mi. An' emi! Ro ojo re s' ori mi! Ma koja Baba Olore, Bi ese mi tile po; 'Wo le fi mi sile, sugbon Jek' anu Re ba le mi. An' emi, etc. Ma koja mi, Olugbala Jek' emi le ro mo O; Emi nwa oju rere Re, Pe mi mo awon t' O npe. An' emi, etc. Ma koja mi, Emi Mimo, 'Wo le la 'ju afoju; Eleri itoye Jesu, Soro ase na si mi. An' emi, etc. Mo ti sun fonfon nin' ese, Mo bi O binu koja; Aiye ti de okan mi, jo Tu mi, k' o dariji mi. An' emi, etc. Ife Olorun ti ki ye; Eje Krist' iyebiye; Ore-ofe alainiwon; Gbe gbogbo re ga n'nu mi. An' emi, etc. Ma koja mi, dariji mi, Fa mi mora, Oluwa; 'Gba O nf' ibukun f' elomi, Ma sai f' ibukun fun mi. An' emi, etc. Lord, I hear of showers of blessing, thou art scattering full and free; showers the thirsty land refr...

Gb'adura wa Oluwa, F' awon omo t' O fun wa, Pin wa ninu 'bukun Re, Si fun won l' ayo l' orun. Je k' okan won sunmo O, Nigba won wa l' omode, Je ki nwon f' ogo Re han, L' akoko 'gba ewe won. Fi eje Olugbala, We okan won mo toto; Je k' a tun gbogbo won bi, Ki nwon si le je Tire. Anu yi l' a mbebe fun, K' O si gbo adura wa; Iwo l' a gb' okan wa le, Ni anu gb' adura wa. Amin. Hearken to our prayer O Lord, For thes children you give us; Bestow on them Your full blessing, Heavenly joy impart to them. Let their hearts to Thee draw nigh, As they’re tender in age; Let Your glory in them shine, In their days of infancy. With the precious Blood of Christ, Sanctify their soul spot-clean; Grant them to be born anew, That they may be wholly Thine. This mercy we crave O Lord, Hearken to our petition; In Thee we repose confidence, Graciously answer prayer.

Text: Thomas Ken, 1637-1710 Music: Thomas Tallis, c. 1505-1585 Ogo f'Olorun l' ale yi Fun gbogbo ore imole, So mi, Oba awon oba Labe ojiji iye Re Oluwa, f' ese mi ji mi, Nitori Omo Re loni; K' emi le wa l' Alafia Pelu Iwo ati aiye. Ko mi ki nwa, kin le ma wo Iboji t'emi b' eni mi; Ko mi, ki nku, kin le dide Ninu ogo l' ojo 'dajo. Je k' okan mi le sun le O K' orun  didun p' oju mi de; Orun ti y'o m' ara mi le Ki nle sin O li owuro. Bi mo ba dubule laisun, F' ero orun kun okan mi Ma je ki nl' ala buburu Ma je k' ipa okun bo mi. Yin Oluwa, gbogbo eda Ti mbe n' isale aiye yi; E yin l' oke, eda orun, Yin Baba, Omo on Emi. Source: Yoruba Baptist Hymnal #71 Glory to thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light: Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, Beneath thine own almighty wings Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son, the ill that I this day have ...