Meter 11

There is one Creator, we cannot doubt,
And He controlleth every creature

Of heaven and of earth, and of the high seas,
And all the things that therein dwell,
Of those unseen, and likewise of such
As with our eyes we are able to see,
Of all creation ; Almighty is He.
Him humbly court all things created
That of their service have any knowledge,
And none the less of those that know not
That they minister unto the Master.
In us He created ways and customs,
And for all His creatures peace unaltered,
Never ceasing in its nature,
When that He wished whatever pleased Him,
As long as He liked, should live and last.
So it shall be, and for ever abide ;
For never they may, the moving creatures,
Cease from their motion, sink into rest,
Swerve from the way that the Warden of heaven
Hath appointed for all in order unchanging.
The King of all things hath His creation
Bound with His bridle ; both hath He done,

Governed each one and guided them too,
So that they may not against the Master’s will
Ever cease moving, nor ever again

Go any more than the Guarder of glory
Will grant unto them His reins of guidance.
He hath with His bridle bound earth and heaven,
And the whole circle of deep sea-waters.
Thus hath He curbed, the King of heaven,
With His control, all of His creatures,
So that the one striveth with other,
And loth to his fellow fast doth cleave,
Firm upholdeth, fast enclaspeth,
Lest they dash asunder. For ever their duty
Again to circle on the self-same journey
That at the first the Father appointed,
And ever renewed again to revive.
So is it fashioned, the framework ancient,
That warring in hate the hostile creatures
Fast and for ever firm peace maintain.
Thus fire and water, firm land and ocean,
And things many more, in just the same manner
Over the wide world are warring together ;
Yet can they keep their course of service,
Fellowship holding firm and abiding.
Nor is it merely matter of wonder
That things full of hate fare together,
Remaining fellows ; more fit for marvel
That none of them ever can live without other,
But every thing made his opposite meeteth
Under the heavens, that humbleth his pride
Ere that it grow too great to be borne.
He hath, the Almighty, to every creature
Appointed its course that it must keep ;
Growth for plants, green for leaves
That in autumn later languish and fall.
Winter bringeth very cold weather ;
Swift are its winds ; summer then cometh,
The warm weather ; Lo! the wan night
Is lit by the moon, till the morn is brought
To men by the sun o’er this spacious world.
He hath, the same God, to sea and land
Their boundaries fixed ; the flood dareth not
Over earth’s borders. her sway to broaden
For the tribe of fishes, without the Lord’s favour ;
Nor may she ever the threshold of earth
Lightly o’ertread ; nor may the tides either
Bear the water over earth’s borders.
These are the commands that the glorious King,
The Bright Life-Giver, doth let while He will
Keep within bounds His noble creatures ;
But when the Eternal and the Almighty
Looseth the reins that rule all creatures,

Even the bridle wherewith He bound
All that He fashioned at the first creation
(By the bridle we speak of we seek to betoken
The case where things are all conflicting) :
If the Lord letteth the bridle loosen,
Forthwith they all leave love and peace,
The friendly union of their fellowship.

All things whatever their own will follow,
All world-creatures shall war together,
Till this our earth utterly perish,
And so also other things, in the same fashion,
By their own nature become as nought.
But the same God that governeth all things,
Bringeth together, many folk bindeth,
And firmly uniteth in friendship’s bonds ;

He linketh in wedlock the love that is pure
Tn peaceful mateship. So too the Mighty One
Fellow to fellow firmly joineth,
So that their friendship forth and for ever
They hold, and their faith fast undoubting,
Their peace unvarying. O God of victory,
Most happy indeed were mankind’s lot,
If but their hearts could hold their course
Steadily steered by Thy strong might,
And evenly ordered as the others are also,
The world’s creatures ! Yea, it were truly
Right merry for men, might it so be!