by Henry Vaughan (1622 - 1695)
The morning watch Matches base text
Language: English
O joys! Infinite sweetness! with what flowers And shoots of glory, my soul breaks and buds! All the long hours Of night and rest, Through the still shrouds Of sleep, and clouds, This dew fell on my breast; O how it bloods, And spirits all my earth! hark! in what rings, And hymning circulations the quick world Awakes, and sings! The rising winds, And falling springs, Birds, beasts, all things Adore Him in their kinds. Thus all is hurl'd In sacred hymns and order; the great chime And symphony of Nature. Prayer is The world in tune, A spirit-voice, And vocal joys, Whose echo is heaven's bliss. O let me climb When I lie down! The pious soul by night Is like a clouded star, whose beams, though said To shed their light Under some cloud, Yet are above, And shine and move Beyond that misty shroud. So in my bed, That curtain'd grave, though sleep, like ashes, hide My lamp and life, both shall in Thee abide.
Composition:
- Set to music by Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986), "The morning watch", op. 55 [ chorus and orchestra ]
Text Authorship:
- by Henry Vaughan (1622 - 1695), "Silex scintillans", subtitle: "The morning watch"
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website: 2006-03-30
Line count: 33
Word count: 168