How Great Thou Art Lyrics: Origin, Story, and Full Text

Few hymns have crossed as many borders as “How Great Thou Art.” What began as a Swedish poem written in 1885 by Carl Boberg (Wikipedia) now appears in hymnals from Catholic pews to Protestant crusades, its journey from a thunderstorm on Mönsterås Bay to a global funeral favorite worth exploring because the story behind the lyrics is as moving as the song itself.

Original author: Carl Boberg (Swedish poem, 1885) ·
English translator: Stuart K. Hine (1949) ·
Commonly used at funerals: Yes ·
Included in Catholic hymnals: Yes ·
Favorite hymn of Billy Graham: Yes

Five key attributes define the hymn’s identity:

Who originally wrote How Great Thou Art?

Who wrote the original Swedish poem?

• Carl Boberg, a Swedish preacher and later member of parliament, wrote the original poem “O Store Gud” in 1885 (Wycliffe Canada).

The poem originally had nine stanzas and was first published in 1886 (Wikipedia). Boberg later heard it sung to an old Swedish melody at a meeting and was surprised it had spread (Wycliffe Canada). The implication: Boberg’s dual role as pastor and politician gave the hymn a reach that extended far beyond his local congregation.

Who translated it into English?

• Stuart K. Hine, an English missionary, translated and adapted the hymn into English in the 1940s (The Tabernacle Choir).

Hine’s version gave the hymn its iconic refrain “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art!”—repeated four times in each rendition (Wikipedia). The catch: Hine’s adaptation was not a word-for-word translation but a creative reimagining that preserved the original’s awe while making it singable in English.

The pattern: Boberg’s original poem and Hine’s adaptation both emphasize personal awe, which explains the hymn’s cross-cultural appeal.

Is How Great Thou Art a funeral hymn?

Why is it popular at funerals?

• The hymn’s themes of awe, salvation, and eternal peace make it appropriate for memorial services (CLRN).

Though not originally composed as a funeral hymn, its lyrics about creation, redemption, and the hope of heaven have made it a staple at funerals across denominations (HymnInfo). The trade-off: the same universal awe that fits funerals also makes it a fixture at weddings and celebrations, giving it rare emotional versatility.

What other hymns are commonly used at funerals?

• “Amazing Grace,” “It Is Well with My Soul,” and “The Old Rugged Cross” appear alongside “How Great Thou Art” in many funeral services (Your Minister).

The pattern: these hymns share a focus on hope beyond suffering, which is why they are requested repeatedly by families facing loss.

The implication: the hymn’s emotional versatility ensures its continued use in both celebration and mourning.

What’s the story behind the hymn ‘How Great Thou Art’?

How did Carl Boberg come to write the poem?

• Boberg was inspired by a sudden thunderstorm followed by calm and the beauty of Mönsterås Bay in southern Sweden (HymnInfo).

According to Your Minister, Boberg was overwhelmed by the majesty of God in nature after the storm passed. The poem draws loosely on Psalm 8, which marvels at the heavens. Why this matters: the natural setting gave the hymn a concrete, sensory foundation that resonates across cultures.

How did Stuart Hine bring it to England?

• Hine, then a missionary in Poland, heard a Russian version of the hymn in the early 1920s and later translated it, adding his own stanzas (Wycliffe Canada).

He and his wife were ministering in Ukraine when they encountered the tune. Hine’s adaptation took shape over two decades, finally being published in 1949 (Wikipedia). The implication: the hymn’s journey through three languages—Swedish, Russian, English—mirrors the global reach it would later achieve.

The catch: the hymn’s power lies in its genuine origin, not in any polished production.

How Great Thou Art original lyrics?

What are the lyrics of the first verse?

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

— HymnInfo

The standard English version typically includes four verses and the refrain. Some publications omit verse three or condense the text (Wikipedia). The catch: minor word variations exist between hymnals—”when I in awesome wonder” sometimes appears as “when I in awesome love”—but the refrain remains consistent everywhere.

What is the chorus?

• “Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, / How great Thou art, how great Thou art! / Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee, / How great Thou art, how great Thou art!” (HymnInfo)

The repetition of the chorus twice per verse reinforces the central theme of amazement. The pattern: each verse builds a concrete image (creation, redemption, hope), and the chorus returns to the emotional response—a structure that makes the hymn easy to learn and hard to forget.

The implication: the condensation preserves the hymn’s core impact while making it accessible for congregational use.

Does the Catholic Church sing ‘How Great Thou Art’?

Is it in the Catholic hymnal?

• “How Great Thou Art” is included in Catholic hymnals such as “Glory & Praise” (HymnInfo).

Adopted into Catholic worship in the 1970s, the hymn now appears in many missalettes and songbooks used in parishes across the United States and Canada (The Tabernacle Choir). The implication: the Catholic Church’s embrace of this Protestant-origin hymn signals how its theological content aligns with core Christian beliefs about creation and redemption.

What denominations sing it?

• It is sung across Protestant, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, and evangelical congregations (Wycliffe Canada).

Billy Graham’s use of the hymn at his crusades in the 1950s and 1960s cemented its cross-denominational appeal (Your Minister). The trade-off: broad acceptance means no single tradition owns it, but that also makes it a rare piece of shared musical heritage.

The pattern: the hymn’s wide adoption reflects its ability to unite diverse Christian traditions.

Timeline: The journey of ‘How Great Thou Art’

• 1885: Carl Boberg writes “O Store Gud” in Sweden (Wikipedia)
• 1925: A Russian version of the hymn emerges (Wikipedia)
• 1930s: Stuart Hine hears the Russian version in Ukraine (Wycliffe Canada)
• 1949: Hine publishes the English translation “How Great Thou Art” (Wikipedia)
• 1954: Billy Graham uses it at his crusades, boosting its popularity (Your Minister)
• 1970s: Adopted into Catholic hymnals (HymnInfo)

The pattern: each key step involved a new language or cultural context, showing that the hymn’s growth was driven by grassroots adoption, not top-down promotion.

What we know and what’s uncertain

The pattern: the confirmed facts are well-documented, while the unclear points highlight the need for further research.

Perspectives on the hymn

I was overwhelmed by the majesty of God in nature.

— Carl Boberg, Swedish preacher, as paraphrased in HymnInfo

I wanted to convey the awe and wonder of the original in English.

— Stuart K. Hine, translator, as recounted in Wycliffe Canada

Both men, separated by decades and languages, shared a single goal: capturing a feeling of awe that transcends words. The paradox: the hymn’s success came not from perfect translation but from emotional resonance that survived every adaptation.

For a song that started as a Swedish pastor’s meditation on a thunderstorm, “How Great Thou Art” found an unlikely second life as a global funeral standard. The lyrics—simple, direct, unshakeable—offer something rare: a message that works whether you’re in a pew, a hospital room, or a stadium. For funeral directors and music ministers, the choice is clear: this hymn will be requested year after year because it speaks to both the skeptic and the believer.

For a comprehensive look at the hymn’s background and musical arrangement, see the detailed guide on How Great Thou Art lyrics, which includes chords as well.

Frequently asked questions

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