Religion

Thy works, O God, Thy name extol

by St. Ambrose of Milan c. 340–397

Translated by John Brownlie (1896) · From Hymns of the Early Church (1896)

Religion

Thy works, O God, Thy name extol,
Thou Ruler of the worlds that roll;
The day is clad in garments bright,
And grateful sleep pervades the night,

That weary limbs from labour free,
By rest for toil prepared may be;
And jaded minds awhile forget
The anxious thoughts that pain and fret.

Fast fades the sunlight in the west;
Thy hand we own our day hath blessed;
Now from the accuser's power we flee,
And lift our prayers in song to Thee.

O Thou hast stirred our hearts to sing,
Hast tuned the praise our voices bring;
From earth's vain loves our love hast won,
Hast lured our thoughts that heavenward run.

So, when the rayless gloom of night
Hath quenched in dark the expiring light,
Faith waves the ebon clouds away,
And dark is light, and night is day.

That sin may ne'er an entrance make,
May slumber ne'er our souls o'ertake;
Faith, wakeful, keeps the soul secure,
And sleep is sweet, and deep, and pure.

The mind from sin's enticements free,
O let our dreams be thoughts of Thee;
And by no envious foe oppressed,
Vouchsafe to Thy beloved rest.

✦ ✦ ✦

Latin: Deus Creator omnium. Brownlie: by St. Ambrose.

MLA

Milan, St. Ambrose of. “Thy works, O God, Thy name extol.” Translated by John Brownlie. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/ambrose/0/.

Chicago

Milan, St. Ambrose of. “Thy works, O God, Thy name extol.” Translated by John Brownlie. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/ambrose/0/.

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