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Cosmic Chant

Light the Lamp of Thy Love

Harmonium
100 BPM
English
Primary Recording
In time · 100 BPM · English
About this chant

The words to Light the Lamp of Thy Love were written by Rabindranath Tagore and was adapted to music by Paramahansa Yogananda. Paramahansahi played it intensely for a prolonged period on the organ in the Windmill Chapel at Lake Shrine on the day before his mahasamadhi. It is well known in SRF, and also a challenging chant: it is long, needs a wide vocal range, and carries a lot of lyrics. The time signature is simple Straight 4/4, so it is relatively easy for kirtan players; most of the challenge is for the harmonium player and leader—to master the vocal range and the hand positioning. The A section (“In my house…”) has some jumps in the first few notes, and “light the lamp of Thy love” moves rapidly under the hand.

Song Form

A In my house, with Thine own hands, light the lamp of Thy love! x2

B Thy transmuting lamp entrancing, x2

B′ Wondrous are its rays.

C Change my darkness to Thy light, Lord! x2

D And my evil into good.

C′ Touch me but once and I will change, x2

D′ All my clay into Thy gold.

E All the sense-lamps that I did light
Sooted into worries.

F Sitting at the door of my soul, x2

G Light Thy resurrecting lamp!

Notes

  • The length of the form is 36 bars in 4/4. A is 4 bars sung x2, B is 2 bars sung x2, B′ is 2 bars, C and C′ are each 2 bars sung x2, D and D′ are each 2 bars, E is 4 bars, F is 2 bars sung x2, and G is 2 bars.

  • Not all lines repeat—be aware of which ones do and which don’t. For example, G is only sung once.

  • C then D is the first verse through that melody; C′ then D′ is the second (the book’s repeat with alternate words).

  • After repeating the standard form several times, one variation is to go from the end back to C and finish the chant from there.

  • A good ending is to repeat A several times, then end on “light the lamp of Thy love.”

  • The Cosmic Chants book marks an optional melodic variation (a) on “door of my soul” in F.

Listen to SRF Recordings

Videos on YouTube

Audio Recordings

Details
Rhythm
Straight 4/4

In-time chants in 4/4 time signature

Difficulty

4 / 5

Tamboura Key

G (G, D)