Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown

"Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown" includes four of the 14 stanzas of the 1742 poem "Wrestling Jacob" by the Anglican cleric and hymn-writer Charles Wesley (1707-1788). A meditation on Genesis 32:22-30, it is considered by many to be the greatest of Wesley's more than 6,500 poems and hymns. The poem is also considered an allegory of Charles Wesley's own striving with God and, by extension, an allegory of the Christian's conversion and lifelong journey with God. "Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown" has been set by composers to several different tunes, perhaps because it is difficult for any tune to carry the weight and drama of Wesley's words. The tune used in this arrangement, VERNON by Jeremiah Ingalls (1790) and Amzi Chapin (1813), with its stark, folk-like quality and minor tonality, seem to capture some of the mystery of the Biblical narrative. In the conclusion to stanza 4 and this arrangement, the words "thy name is Love!" modulate to a brilliant final major chord.