by John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890)
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling...
Language: English
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou Shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path; but now Lead Thou me on! I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years! So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still Will lead me on. O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone, And with the morn those angel faces smile, Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile! Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod, Lead, Saviour, lead me home in childlike faith, Home to my God. To rest forever after earthly strife In the calm light of everlasting life.
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Authorship:
- by John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890), "The Pillar and the Cloud", written 1833 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Henriëtte Bosmans (1895 - 1952), "Lead, Kindly Light", 1945 [ voice and orchestra or piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfred Sanderson (1878 - 1935), "Lead, Kindly Light" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Miguel Antonio Caro) , "Invocación a la divina luz", appears in Traducciones poéticas, Bogotá, Librería Americana, calle XIV, n. 77, 79, first published 1889
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2018-10-19
Line count: 24
Word count: 164