How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, 
Consider all the works Thy Hands have made; 
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, 
Thy power throughout the universe displayed. 
 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 
 
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, 
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. 
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur 
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. 

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 
 
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; 
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; 
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing, 
He bled and died to take away my sin. 
 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 
 
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, 
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. 
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, 
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!" 
 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art. 
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

— Carl Gustaf Boberg (1886) [Translator: Stuart K. Hine (1949)]

“How Great Thou Art” began in 1885 when Swedish pastor Carl Boberg wrote a poem after a thunderstorm. British missionary Stuart K. Hine heard a Russian translation in Ukraine, wrote the English lyrics in 1949, and the Billy Graham crusades popularized it in the 1950s.

Sweden (1885): While walking home from an afternoon service in Mönsterås, Boberg experienced a sudden, violent thunderstorm followed by a clear sky and distant church bells. Overcome by the majesty of creation, he wrote a poem originally titled “O Store Gud” (O Great God).

Ukraine (1920s–1930s): British missionary Stuart K. Hine and his wife were working in the Carpathian Mountains when they heard a Russian-translated version of the hymn. Deeply moved, Hine began adapting and writing English paraphrases, including the famous third verse inspired by the testimonies of local villagers.

Global Spread & US Debut: Hine completed his English translation in 1949 and distributed it to missionaries. It arrived in the U.S. in the mid-1950s when missionary J. Edwin Orr introduced it at college conferences, catching the ear of George Beverly Shea, who sang it at the 1957 Billy Graham New York crusade.

Pop Culture: The hymn’s monumental reach expanded further when Elvis Presley recorded it in 1967, winning a Grammy for his album.