To Be a Pilgrim

This is an obvious post and long overdue. The title of this blog comes from this song!

To Be a Pilgrim - Maddy Prior

Don’t you love the exuberance of the Renaissance instruments? I used to cover a Maddy Prior version of “Poor Little Jesus” that I’ll post sometime. She is a fun singer.

This is the only hymn John Bunyan wrote. Wikipedia has two versions of the lyrics listed - Bunyan’s original and the 1904 version that is probably more familiar. The original text is more fanciful and forceful at the same time. Bunyan spent time in jail for his beliefs...he understood firsthand how discouragement and “dismal stories” meant to deter a Christian could end up strengthening him. May it be so with us!

John Bunyan's Original Version	1906 The English HymnalVersion
1. Who would true valour see,	1. He who would valiant be
Let him come hither;	′Gainst all disaster,
One here will constant be,	Let him in constancy
Come wind, come weather	Follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement	There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent	Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent	His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.	To be a pilgrim.
2. Whoso beset him round	2. Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,	With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound;	Do but themselves confound——
His strength the more is.	His strength the more is.
No lion can him fright,	No foes shall stay his might,
He’ll with a giant fight,	Though he with giants fight:
But he will have a right	He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.	To be a pilgrim.
3.  Hobgoblin, nor foul fiend[,]	3. Since, Lord, thou dost defend
Can daunt his spirit;	Us with thy Spirit,
He knows he at the end	We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.	Shall life inherit.
Then fancies fly away,	Then fancies flee away!
He’ll fear not what men say,	I’ll fear not what men say,
He’ll labour night and day	I’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.[4]	To be a pilgrim.[5]