The hymn “How Great Thou Art” has its roots in a Swedish poem written in 1885 by the poet and minister Carl Boberg, originally titled “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”).
Original writer
Carl Boberg composed the original Swedish text after being inspired by a dramatic storm and the peaceful calm that followed on the coast of Sweden in 1885. This poem, set to a Swedish folk melody, became the foundation of what later became known in English as “How Great Thou Art.”
English version author
The widely known English version “How Great Thou Art” was created by British missionary Stuart K. Hine, who produced a loose English translation and added additional verses in the mid-20th century. Hine’s version, combined with the Swedish melody, is the form popularized in many churches and Christian gatherings around the world.
