Lamps Trimmed and Burning

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Lest your feet may go astray!
If you are the Lord’s disciple,
Unto sinners show the way!

Refrain

We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
We’ll go out with joy to meet Him,
At the midnight hour;
If our lamps are trimmed and burning,
When He cometh, when He cometh,
At the midnight hour!

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Let there be of oil no lack!
Be not like the foolish virgins,
From the entrance driven back!

Refrain

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
Burning for eternity!
Ready for the Lord’s appearing,
Whensoever it may be!

Refrain

Let your lamps be trimmed and burning,
For the midnight draweth near!
When the Bridegroom quickly cometh,
And we all His voice shall hear!

Refrain

Author: Unknown

This is a traditional American gospel song, often associated with African-American spiritual traditions and camp-meeting style. No single author is credited in standard hymnals; it is treated as folk/traditional. Some collections loosely attribute similar 'trimmed and burning' texts to 19th-century revivalists, but no verified individual author exists for these exact lyrics.