Morning has Broken
I thought this was a nice new post for the spring solstice. And to focus on a nicer subject that has alluded me, although I have many new inspirational stories about hope and strong women coming soon. I always thought of this song as a sweet awakening. Of course, I knew it as the Cat Stevens song of the early 70’s. There is a variation to the lyrics from his song to the hymn that the poem inspired in 1931 Scotland. Her story is below. And the two versions, slightly altered.
Spring and new hope. Sunshine and folly. Enjoy the season of the growing bounties. Let it bring us joy in these trying times of discord. Spring IS Hope.
Long before Cat Stevens made it a global hit, the words to Morning Has Broken were quietly penned by a woman who believed in the beauty of simple things.
Eleanor Farjeon was born in 1881 in London to a family of writers, musicians, and dreamers. She had a way with words that felt like sunlight on paper—gentle, lyrical, full of hope. Known for her children’s books and poems, she created enchanted worlds for young minds to explore. But it was one short hymn, tucked into a 1931 church songbook, that would leave her most lasting legacy.
Set to a haunting old Scottish melody called Bunessan, her poem Morning Has Broken was a celebration of dawn, rebirth, and gratitude. It quietly made its way into the hearts of schoolchildren and churchgoers in England—but it was still far from fame.
Then, in 1971, something extraordinary happened. A young singer named Cat Stevens discovered the hymn and was captivated by its message of peace and new beginnings. He recorded it with tender vocals and a memorable piano arrangement, and the world listened. The song soared to the top of the charts and became a spiritual anthem for generations.
Eleanor Farjeon passed away in 1965, never knowing that the words she once wrote to honor the freshness of morning would one day rise again—sung around the world, cherished by millions, and carried like a prayer on the wind.
#TimelessWords #MorningHasBroken
~Old Photo Club
1) Morning has broken
like the first morning,
blackbird has spoken
like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
fresh from the Word!
2) Sweet the rain’s new fall
sunlit from heaven,
like the first dewfall
on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
of the wet garden,
sprung in completeness
where God’s feet pass.
3) Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning
born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
praise every morning,
God’s recreation
of the new day!
Source: Singing the Living Tradition #38
Cat Stevens
www.youtube.com › watch
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the World
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dew fall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the One Light Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God’s re-creation of the new day
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the World
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