Desire

Thou, who dost dwell alone;  Thou, who dost know thine own;  Thou, to whom all are known,  From the cradle to the grave,--    Save,

O, save!  From the world's temptations;  From tribulations;  From that fierce anguish  Wherein we languish;  From that torpor deep  Wherein we lie asleep,  Heavy as death, cold as the grave,--    Save,

O, save!  When the soul, growing clearer,  Sees God no nearer;  When the soul, mounting higher,  To God comes no nigher;  But the arch-fiend Pride  Mounts at her side,  Foiling her high emprize,  Sealing her eagle eyes,  And, when she fain would soar,  Make idols to adore;  Changing the pure emotion  Of her high devotion,  To a skin-deep sense  Of her own eloquence;  Strong to deceive, strong to enslave,--    Save,

O, save!  From the ingrained fashion  Of this earthly nature  That mars thy creature;  From grief, that is but passion;  From mirth, that is but feigning;  From tears, that bring no healing;  From wild and weak complaining;--  Thine old strength revealing,    Save,

O, save!  From doubt, where all is doable,  Where wise men are not strong;  Where comfort turns to trouble;  Where just men suffer wrong;  Where sorrow treads on joy;  Where sweet things soonest cloy;  Where faiths are built on dust;  Where love is half mistrust,  Hungry, and barren, and sharp as the sea;    O, set us free!  O, let the false dream fly  Where our sick souls do lie,  Tossing continually.  O, where thy voice doth come,  Let all doubts be dumb;  Let all words be mild;  All strife be reconciled;  All pains beguiled.  Light brings no blindness;  Love no unkindness;  Knowledge no ruin;  Fear no undoing,  From the cradle to the grave,--    Save,

O, save!