You help make Hymnary.org possible.

In 2025, more than 10 million people from 200+ countries found hymns, liturgical resources, and encouragement here. If Hymnary has meant something to you this year, would you take a moment to help sustain it? A gift of any size — and a note of encouragement, if you'd like to share one — directly supports the server costs, research, and curation that keep this resource freely available to the world.

Give securely online today, or mail a check to:
Hymnary.org (c/o Calvin University)
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Thank you for being part of this important online ministry resource.

A Dream of Home

Representative Text

1 I sat alone at midnight hour,
And watched the star-lit sky,
And dreamed I hear my mother say:
“I wish my boy was nigh,
I know not where he is tonight,
He crossed the troubled main;
But this I know, if life holds out,
He’ll wander back again.”

“He’s coming home, O joyful tho’t!
My boy no more will roam;
A letter here says mother dear,
I’m coming, coming home.

2 He’s gone tho’ now, far, far away,
Perhaps in deserts wild;
O God to Thee, I pray tonight
To keep my distant child,
No father there to guide him now,
No brother with his cheer,
No mother there to soothe his brow,
No sister with her tear.”

“He’s coming home, O joyful tho’t!
My boy no more will roam;
A letter here says mother dear,
I’m coming, coming home.

3 I fancy now I see his face,
As fair as when a child;
And he’s a full-grown man today,
And true and brave, but mild.
A letter here says “Mother dear,
No longer I will roam;
So now I stand and watch the gate,
I know he’s coming home.”

“He’s coming home, O joyful tho’t!
My boy no more will roam;
A letter here says mother dear,
I’m coming, coming home.

4 Alas, dear friends ‘twas but a dream,
My mother’s here no more;
She left this world of sin and pain,
For Canaan’s happy shore.
Lord, send some messenger of love
To guide my wayward feet,
That I may meet my mother there
Inside the pearly gate.

I’m going home, ‘twill not be long
Ere I shall cease to roam;
And then I’ll join redemption’s song,
With mother dear at home.


Source: Soul Inspiring Songs #104

Author: T. J. Swanzey

(no biographical information available about T. J. Swanzey.) Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: I sat alone at midnight hour
Title: A Dream of Home
Author: T. J. Swanzey (1891)
Language: English
Refrain First Line: He's coming home, O joyful thought
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances in all hymnals

Instances (1 - 23 of 23)
Page Scan

Bells of Heaven #390

Page Scan

Calvary Songs #38

Crowning Theme #d25

Crowning Theme; Nos. 1 and 2 combined #d55

Page Scan

Cumberland Hymns #79

Page Scan

Dortch's Gospel Voices No. 1 #16

Page Scan

Perennial Songs #217

Page Scan

Praise and Rejoicing #48

Quartet Song Book No. 10 #d32

Quartet Song Book No. 5 #d39

Quartet Song Book No. 6 #d31

Quartet Song Book No. 7 #d39

Quartet Song Book No. 8 #d35

Quartet Song Book No. 9 #d31

Revival and Prohibition Songs #d40

Sacred Memories for Occasions of Reverence #d32

Page Scan

Search-Light Songs #48

Songs of Spiritual Power; Songs that Win #d62

TextAudioPage Scan

Soul Inspiring Songs #104

The Highway to Heaven #d58

Times of Refreshing #d83

Page Scan

Times of Refreshing #219

Times of Refreshing #d99

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.