As panting, in the sultry beam

Composed by John Bowdler, this metrical paraphrase of Psalm 42 was first published in his posthumous collection Select Pieces in Verse and Prose in 1816 (p. 60). The complete text is arranged in two distinct parts, with each part consisting of four stanzas of six lines. The first portion of the hymn gained initial acceptance in several early nineteenth-century collections, including Henry Venn Elliott's Psalms and Hymns in 1835. Over time, the rendering largely fell out of regular congregational use across Great Britain, though it retained a presence in a limited selection of North American hymnals. The original text in its full form was reprinted in Charles Rogers's Lyra Britannica in 1867 (p. 83). The hymn reflects Bowdler's thoughtful engagement with the Psalter, providing an expressive and earnest reflection on spiritual thirst and longings for God.