"Rose of Sharon" is a sacred choral anthem composed by William Billings.
It was first published in The Singing Master's Assistant (1778) as An Anthem, Solomons Songs, Chap 2,[1] and was subsequently published in many early American tunebooks, including The Southern Harmony and The Sacred Harp.
It continues to be a popular song to perform by early music ensembles, and AllMusic declares it "one of his best-loved works today[2]".
The poetry of the anthem is derived from the second chapter of the Song of Solomon:[3] I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.