by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
All that we see rejoices in the sunshine
Language: English
All that we see rejoices in the sunshine All that we hear makes merry in the Spring: God grant us such a mind to be glad after our kind, And to sing His praises evermore for everything. Much that we see must vanish with the sunshine, Sweet Spring must fail, and fail the choir of Spring: But Wisdom shall burn on when the lesser lights are gone, And shall sing God's praises evermore for everything. What is the beginning? Love. What the course? Love still. What the goal? The goal is Love on the happy hill. Is there nothing then but Love, search we sky or earth? There is nothing out of Love hath perpetual worth: All things flag but only Love, all things fail or flee; There is nothing left but Love worthy you and me. Lord, make me pure: Only the pure shall see Thee as Thou art And shall endure. Lord bring me low; For Thou wert lowly in Thy blessed heart: Lord keep me so. Love, to be love, must walk Thy way And work Thy Will; Or if Thou say, "Lie still" Lie still and pray. Love, Thine own Bride, with all her might Will follow Thee, And till the shadows flee Keep Thee in sight. Love will not mar her peaceful face With cares undue, Faithless and hopeless too Ando out of place. Love, knowing Thou much more art Love, Will sun her grief, And pluck her myrtle-leaf, And be Thy dove. Love here hath vast beatitude: What shall be hers Where there is no more curse, But all is good? Lord I am feeble and of mean account: Thou Who dost condescend as well as mount, Stoop Thou Thyself to me And grant me grace to hear and grace to see. Lord if Thou grant me grace to hear and to see Thy very Self Who stoopest thus to me, I make but slight account Of aught beside wherein to sink or mount. Tune me, o Lord, into one harmony With Thee, one full responsive vibrant chord: Unto Thy praise al love and melody, Tune me, o Lord. Thus need I flee nor death, nor fire, nor sword: A little while these be, then cease to be, And sent by Thee not these should be abhorred. Devil and world, gird me with strength to flee, To flee the flesh, and arm me with Thy word: As Thy Heart is to my heart, unto Thee Tune me, o Lord.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord", appears in The Face of the Deep, first published 1892 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885 - 1969), "All that we see rejoices in the sunshine", published 1919. [satb chorus a cappella] [text not verified]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-04
Line count: 61
Word count: 415