Tune: Doncaster
('Put thou thy trust in God')
Based on a prayer of Thomas á Kempis
[German monk, 15th Century]
**********
1. Grant me, Lord, devotion
May each thought, each notion
Be with your grace enabling me
To your holy ways see
2. O Lord, you are all good
I worship as I should
Though I mere dust, a worm, you bid
Me, you from me not hid
3. Remember me, Lord, do
Nothing I have, save you
You do all things, you fill all things
My soul humbly you sings
4. Be merciful to me
Fill my heart, may I see
Your graces true, I worthless not
In you my fine fare lot
5. How can I here endure
Without your grace, the cure
To aid me through life of sorrows
You each one's burdens knows
6. Strengthen me with you grace
And mercy too, your face
Turn not from me, to me come soon
I rest in you, in tune
7. Withdraw not help from me
Or else I then shall be
Like waterless desert, my soul
Shall be dried and unwhole
8. Teach me Lord here, your will
To live humbly, meek, still
And worthily live in your sight
Who dispel dark and night
9. You are my Wisdom all
I ever on you call
You know me truly, before I
E'en uttered my first cry
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Author:
orchidee (
Offline) - Published: July 27th, 2017 08:48
- Comment from author about the poem: A hymn-poem in 6686 metre. Possibly one in a series (8 in all?), though tricky to adapt to hymn-poems! Quite a bit of 'worm-theology' and 'dusty' stuff in them, from an ascetic lifestyle of a monk.
- Category: Spiritual
- Views: 47
Offline)
Comments4
I don't know if 'unwhole' is a word, but I thought it up to rhyme with 'soul'. It seemed to maintain the 'depth' and 'formality' of this hymn-poem. I didn't want to over-generalise, but in my style of hymn-poems, I'm unlikely to be too 'modern' with 'Yeah, yeah, praise Him' or 'I wanna scream out the good news from every mountain top!' type hymns/choruses! There's that dust again, and a worm too now! lol.
I really really enjoyed this piece. I can’t believe I haven’t read more of your work. Poetry loaded with theology is right up my alley! Thanks for sharing, my friend.
Thanks Charles. This one's a bit 'heavy' maybe, compared to some of mine. It's based on a prayer by a German monk.
Ahh yes. I read Imitation of the Christ 3 or so years ago. Great place to draw inspiration from
Yes, I agree Charles. Yet he is on the 'ascetic' side. Some say he flogs himself a bit - metaphorically speaking. Not to earn his salvation, which he can't do, but in an austere lifestyle. Hence my fairly often references to 'dust' and 'worms', though Biblical!
Thanks STEVE ~ great tune and an even greater POEM ~ HYMNS ANCIENT will always stand the test of time and triumph ! Hymns MODERN (except for the Kendricks !) will die and be forgotten like the rest ~ AMEN ~ BRIAN (Musicologist)
I dunno though Brian. I expect quite a lot of modern will last too. It's just me, not keen on some hymns or choruses sounding too 'common'. Not that I'm strict, nor hellfire and brimstone. Difficult to fit words to some modern layouts, seeing as I often rhyme. Yet some old hymns have an 'Irregular' Metre, and I think 'Ahh, may not attempt them for my hymn-poems'! Some may become like cat-and-dog: one loves the new and hates the old, and another one is vice versa, and never the twain may meet!
Thanks Outback. But, yep, the tunes are good enough for me! I expect I shall carry on using them!
Very good prayer/hymn.
Thanks G. Was you around in the 15th Century too, when it was first written?
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