About the Hymn

Written by Eleanor Farjeon (1881–1965) for the 1931 hymnal Songs of Praise, Morning Has Broken thanks God for the gift of each new day. Its words are set to the traditional Gaelic melody Bunessan, named after a village on the Isle of Mull. The tune was already known from the carol “Child in the Manger,” and its gentle contour perfectly supports Farjeon’s simple, grateful text. The hymn became widely familiar in schools and churches, and was later popularised by Cat Stevens’ 1971 recording.

The hymn’s fresh images of light, fields, birdsong, and dew invite worshippers to praise the Creator who renews His world each morning. In services of thanksgiving or daily prayer, Morning Has Broken continues to remind congregations that every dawn is a gift from God, and that His mercies are new with the rising sun.