The words of the hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King” were taken from the poem, Canticle of the Sun, written by St Francis of Assisi in 1225. (This poem is based upon Psalm 148.) The words were translated into English and set to music by William Draper sometime between 1899 and 1919. Draper at the time was rector of a Church of England parish church at Adel near Leeds. It was written for the church’s Whitsun festival celebration, and later published in 1919 in the Public-School Hymn book. It became a very popular hymn and is currently used in 179 different hymnals.
Even if it is familiar to you, you’ll enjoy hearing it again today!
For more about St. Francis of Assisi see these posts:
Lutheran Ladies Connection 