 | Hymns and verses by Samuel Longfellow |  |
27
VESPER HYMNS.
I.
TO AN AIR HEARD IN S. TRINITÀ DE MONTI IN ROME.
Hear us, Heavenly Father, hear us!
Give to us thy perfect peace.
Thou whose love unsleeping
Watch is ever keeping,
Shades of evening gather,
Thou, our heavenly Father,
Holy and Merciful,
Hear our evening prayer!
Give to us thy perfect peace.
Thou whose love unsleeping
Watch is ever keeping,
Shades of evening gather,
Thou, our heavenly Father,
Holy and Merciful,
Hear our evening prayer!
When life's glooms o'ertake us
Thou wilt not forsake us;
When life's shadows darken
Thou our cry wilt hearken;
Holy and Merciful!
Thou wilt hear our prayer:
Give us thy peace, O God,
Keep us in thy perfect peace!
Thou wilt not forsake us;
When life's shadows darken
Thou our cry wilt hearken;
Holy and Merciful!
Thou wilt hear our prayer:
28
Keep us in thy perfect peace!
[II. Soft as fades the sunset splendor]
Soft as fades the sunset splendor
And the light of day grows dim,
We to God our praises render,
Sing we thus our vesper hymn,—
Jubilate, Amen!
Father, gracious, loving, tender,
Oh, accept the grateful strain!
And the light of day grows dim,
We to God our praises render,
Sing we thus our vesper hymn,—
Jubilate, Amen!
Father, gracious, loving, tender,
Oh, accept the grateful strain!
Day by day comes rich in blessing,
Night by night brings holy calm;
Lord, to thee our praise addressing,
Rises thus our joyful psalm,—
Jubilate, Amen!
But, unworthiness confessing,
Into silence fades again.
Night by night brings holy calm;
Lord, to thee our praise addressing,
Rises thus our joyful psalm,—
Jubilate, Amen!
But, unworthiness confessing,
Into silence fades again.
[III. Now on land and sea descending]
Now on land and sea descending,
Brings the night its peace profound,
And our evening hymn is blending
With the holy calm around.
Soon as dies the sunset glory
Stars of heaven shine out above,
Telling still the ancient story,—
Their Creator's changeless love.
Brings the night its peace profound,
29
With the holy calm around.
Soon as dies the sunset glory
Stars of heaven shine out above,
Telling still the ancient story,—
Their Creator's changeless love.
Now, our wants and burdens leaving
To his care who cares for all,
Cease we fearing, cease we grieving;
At his touch our burdens fall.
As the darkness deepens o'er us,
Lo! eternal stars arise;
Hope and faith and love rise glorious
Shining in the spirit's skies.
To his care who cares for all,
Cease we fearing, cease we grieving;
At his touch our burdens fall.
As the darkness deepens o'er us,
Lo! eternal stars arise;
Hope and faith and love rise glorious
Shining in the spirit's skies.
[IV. Again as evening's shadow falls]
Again as evening's shadow falls,
We gather in these hallowed walls,
And vesper hymn and vesper prayer
Rise mingling on the holy air.
We gather in these hallowed walls,
And vesper hymn and vesper prayer
Rise mingling on the holy air.
30
The struggling heart that seeks release
Here finds the rest of God's own peace,
And strengthened here by hymn and prayer,
Lays down the burden and the care.
Here finds the rest of God's own peace,
And strengthened here by hymn and prayer,
Lays down the burden and the care.
O God, our Light, to thee we bow!
Within all shadows standest thou:
Give deeper calm than night can bring,
Give sweeter songs than lips can sing!
Within all shadows standest thou:
Give deeper calm than night can bring,
Give sweeter songs than lips can sing!
Life's tumult we must meet again,
We cannot at the shrine remain;
But in the spirit's secret cell
May hymn and prayer forever dwell!
We cannot at the shrine remain;
But in the spirit's secret cell
May hymn and prayer forever dwell!
1859.
| Hymns and verses by Samuel Longfellow | |