 | Poems |  |
ADORATION.
Unutterable! Thou whom thought
Dares not to strive to comprehend,
Thou who no tongue hast ever taught
To breathe Thee, Nameless, as it ought,
Whose glories speech transcend,
Fitliest might silence, trembling, to Thee bow,
Yet would my soul in song soar to Thee now.
Dares not to strive to comprehend,
Thou who no tongue hast ever taught
To breathe Thee, Nameless, as it ought,
Whose glories speech transcend,
Fitliest might silence, trembling, to Thee bow,
Yet would my soul in song soar to Thee now.
424
What art Thou? Thee no mortal eyes
Have look'd on, even in holiest dream;
Imagination, cowering, dies
Blind before Thee. Thought may not rise
To Thee, O Height Supreme!
How may the frail creation of Thy hand,
Thee, who created'st all things, understand?
Have look'd on, even in holiest dream;
Imagination, cowering, dies
Blind before Thee. Thought may not rise
To Thee, O Height Supreme!
How may the frail creation of Thy hand,
Thee, who created'st all things, understand?
What art Thou? We poor things of breath,
We come and, even as dreams, depart;
Before time was, or earth, or death,
Eternal Now, thought wondering saith,
“Thou wert as now Thou art.”
Thou know'st not time. Thou art Eternity—
That wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
We come and, even as dreams, depart;
Before time was, or earth, or death,
Eternal Now, thought wondering saith,
“Thou wert as now Thou art.”
Thou know'st not time. Thou art Eternity—
That wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
What art Thou? Endless, boundless Power
Thou art—eternal, changeless Might—
Felt in the growth of fruit and flower,
In earth and ocean, sun and shower,
And all the worlds of night;
For blossom, insect, man, and world are Thee,
Thou still in all that hath been—that shall be.
Thou art—eternal, changeless Might—
Felt in the growth of fruit and flower,
In earth and ocean, sun and shower,
And all the worlds of night;
For blossom, insect, man, and world are Thee,
Thou still in all that hath been—that shall be.
What art Thou? Wisdom, to the wise
Darkness; even as an unknown tongue
Is to a wondering infant's eyes,
Thy mysteries are to him who tries
To read them. Who, among
The sons of men, Thy ways may comprehend,
Thou, of all things, the Ruler, Source, and End?
Darkness; even as an unknown tongue
Is to a wondering infant's eyes,
Thy mysteries are to him who tries
To read them. Who, among
The sons of men, Thy ways may comprehend,
Thou, of all things, the Ruler, Source, and End?
What art Thou? O how goodly fair
Is all around, beneath, above!
The shows of earth, and sea, and air,
Day's glories, night's, alike declare
Thee boundless, changeless Love;
Sunrise and sunset, all the seasons see,
Show forth the sumless goodness which is Thee.
Is all around, beneath, above!
The shows of earth, and sea, and air,
Day's glories, night's, alike declare
Thee boundless, changeless Love;
Sunrise and sunset, all the seasons see,
Show forth the sumless goodness which is Thee.
425
Where art Thou? Who shall girdle round
Thy dwelling? Who but Thou shall dare
To span the limitless profound,
Systems and worlds that know no bound!
Yet ever everywhere,
Throughout all worlds, throughout all endless space,
As in all time, there is Thy dwelling-place.
Thy dwelling? Who but Thou shall dare
To span the limitless profound,
Systems and worlds that know no bound!
Yet ever everywhere,
Throughout all worlds, throughout all endless space,
As in all time, there is Thy dwelling-place.
Before all worlds Thou wast. Thy word
Throng'd the void depths of primal night
With suns. Thy breath the darkness stirr'd,
And the bright hosts of heaven were heard
Marching sublime in light
Through the appointed ways Thy will hath set.
Through which, adoring thee, they thunder yet.
Throng'd the void depths of primal night
With suns. Thy breath the darkness stirr'd,
And the bright hosts of heaven were heard
Marching sublime in light
Through the appointed ways Thy will hath set.
Through which, adoring thee, they thunder yet.
Thou spak'st. Earth was. Half gloom, half light,
On its ordained pathway hurl'd,
Forth from Thy hand it wing'd its flight;
Perfect as now, good in Thy sight,
Through night, through day it whirl'd.
Thou breath'dst—plain, mountain, valley, desert came,
Pasture and field. Thy goodness to proclaim.
On its ordained pathway hurl'd,
Forth from Thy hand it wing'd its flight;
Perfect as now, good in Thy sight,
Through night, through day it whirl'd.
Thou breath'dst—plain, mountain, valley, desert came,
Pasture and field. Thy goodness to proclaim.
Thou willèd'st them; and, at Thy will,
Earth heard the voices of her seas,
Felt rivers their deep courses fill,
Felt forests shadow plain and hill,
Knew storm, and calm, and breeze;
And, at Thy breath, fed by Thy sun and showers,
Up-sprang the wonder of all herbs and flowers.
Earth heard the voices of her seas,
Felt rivers their deep courses fill,
Felt forests shadow plain and hill,
Knew storm, and calm, and breeze;
And, at Thy breath, fed by Thy sun and showers,
Up-sprang the wonder of all herbs and flowers.
Then was all life. Thou bad'st them be;
And every breathing form came forth
That creeps the ground, or cleaves the sea,
Or wings the air—all beasts that flee
Man, from the icy north,
To the hot south; unnumber'd, at Thy call
They were; or huge, or small, Thou madest all.
And every breathing form came forth
That creeps the ground, or cleaves the sea,
Or wings the air—all beasts that flee
Man, from the icy north,
To the hot south; unnumber'd, at Thy call
They were; or huge, or small, Thou madest all.
426
Last, crown of all, Thy mercy bade,
Even from the dust, Thy creature rise.
Lord of all earth, Thy goodness made
Man, of Thyself the passing shade
Unto his fellows' eyes;
Him didst Thou gift with thought and speech, and raise
To the high power to feel, and tell Thy praise.
Even from the dust, Thy creature rise.
Lord of all earth, Thy goodness made
Man, of Thyself the passing shade
Unto his fellows' eyes;
Him didst Thou gift with thought and speech, and raise
To the high power to feel, and tell Thy praise.
Her too Thou mad'st, man's fitting mate.
Woman, creation's boast and flower,
Awful with beauty, on which wait
Reverence and love, Thou didst create,
With subtlest, sweetest power
To soften man, and bid him in her see
What wondrous cause for love and praise to Thee!
Woman, creation's boast and flower,
Awful with beauty, on which wait
Reverence and love, Thou didst create,
With subtlest, sweetest power
To soften man, and bid him in her see
What wondrous cause for love and praise to Thee!
Nor stay'd from blessing us each day
Is Thy still re-creating hand;
Still Thou re-givest all decay
Withdraws; all that death bears away
Re-lives at Thy command;
Fair now as when it first was at Thy call,
Creation bids us bless Thee still for all.
Is Thy still re-creating hand;
Still Thou re-givest all decay
Withdraws; all that death bears away
Re-lives at Thy command;
Fair now as when it first was at Thy call,
Creation bids us bless Thee still for all.
Thy rains and dews with greenness fill
The earth. Thy snows still bear the spring;
Thou paintest flowers on plain and hill;
Thou bid'st Thy autumns to us still
Fruits and their harvests bring;
Sunshine and shadow, wind, and cloud, and sky,
Thunder and storm, Thee ever glorify.
The earth. Thy snows still bear the spring;
Thou paintest flowers on plain and hill;
Thou bid'st Thy autumns to us still
Fruits and their harvests bring;
Sunshine and shadow, wind, and cloud, and sky,
Thunder and storm, Thee ever glorify.
O let all praise Thee! Let all lands
Thy wondrousness, Thy blessings tell,
More countless than the ocean's sands!
Let my soul praise Thee, from Whose hands
Is every good, and swell
With song creation's everlasting hymn
Unto Thy glory, by Whom suns are dim.
Thy wondrousness, Thy blessings tell,
More countless than the ocean's sands!
Let my soul praise Thee, from Whose hands
Is every good, and swell
With song creation's everlasting hymn
Unto Thy glory, by Whom suns are dim.
427
Me Thou hast given Thy works to see
With heart that feels in all Thou art
Beyond man's thought. What love may be,
What praise an offering unto Thee,
All-wise, that shall impart
The awe with which I fling my soul before
Thy power, and wonder, tremble, and adore!
With heart that feels in all Thou art
Beyond man's thought. What love may be,
What praise an offering unto Thee,
All-wise, that shall impart
The awe with which I fling my soul before
Thy power, and wonder, tremble, and adore!
Creator, Saviour, God, Thy will
Made me. Thy will from woe and death
Upholds me. Lord, give to me still
Thy law to know, and to fulfil;
Make Thou my every breath,
My every act, word, thought, and moment be
A hymn of thanks, praise, worship, unto Thee!
Made me. Thy will from woe and death
Upholds me. Lord, give to me still
Thy law to know, and to fulfil;
Make Thou my every breath,
My every act, word, thought, and moment be
A hymn of thanks, praise, worship, unto Thee!
Live Thou in me! Lord, what am I,
But as a leaf borne on Thy breath?
From Thee, all thoughts are born and die;
All good, all griefs that purify,
From Thee have birth and death;
By Thee the knowledge and the strength are given
By which to know and serve Thee we have striven.
But as a leaf borne on Thy breath?
From Thee, all thoughts are born and die;
All good, all griefs that purify,
From Thee have birth and death;
By Thee the knowledge and the strength are given
By which to know and serve Thee we have striven.
O Thou, All-good, make Thou my will
Even as Thou would'st my life should be!
Make pure my heart, that it may fill
My days with deeds and thoughts, that still
Are blameless unto Thee!
O Lord, through life, through death, to Thee I cry;
Be Thou my strength, my hope, eternally!
Even as Thou would'st my life should be!
Make pure my heart, that it may fill
My days with deeds and thoughts, that still
Are blameless unto Thee!
O Lord, through life, through death, to Thee I cry;
Be Thou my strength, my hope, eternally!
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