Hold Thou My Hands!

Hold Thou my hands!
In grief and joy, in hope and fear,
Lord, let me feel that Thou art near:
Hold Thou my hands!

If e’er by doubts
Of Thy good fatherhood depressed,
I cannot find in Thee my rest:
Hold Thou my hands!

Hold Thou my hands!
These passionate hands too quick to smite,
These hands so eager for delight:
Hold Thou my hands!

And when at length,
With darkened eyes and fingers cold,
I seek some last loved hand to hold,
Hold Thou my hands!

Author: William Canton

Year: 1893

The hymn text is by William Canton (1845–1926), first published in his 1893 collection 'The Invisible Playmate'. Some hymnals attribute it simply as 'anonymous' or under variant titles, but the authorship is generally credited to Canton.