Thou oure refuge, thou oure dwelling O Lord hast beene from time to time longe ere Mountaines prowdelie swelling above the lowelie Dales did clime: longe er th'earth embowl'd by thee bare the forme it nowe doth beare yea thou art God, for ever free from all touch of age and yeare. O but man by thee created as he at first of Earth arose when thy word his end hath dated in equall state to earth he goes Thou sai'st (and saieng mak'st it soe:) Bee no more (O Adams heyre) from whence ye came, dispatch to goe Dust againe, as Dust ye were. Graunt a thousand yeares be spared to mortall man of life and light what is that to be compared? one daie, one quarter of a night. when Death upon them stormelike falls like unto a Dreame they growe: which comes and goes, as fancie calls nought in Substance, all in showe As the herbe, that earlie groweth which leaved greene, and flowred faire ev'ning chaunge, with ruyn moweth and laies to roste in withering ayre. Soe in thy wrath wee fade awaie with thy furie overthrowne when thou in sight oure faults do'st laie looking on oure sinnes unknowne. Therefore in thy angrie fuming his life of daies his measure spends All oure yeares in Death consuming right like a sownd that sownded ends. Our daies of life make seventie yeares eightie if one stronger be whose cropp is labor, dollors feares then awaie in poste wee flee. Yet who notes thy angrie power as he should feare, so fearing thee? Make us count each vitall howre make thou us wise, wee wise shalbe. Turne Lord: shall theis things thus goe still? let thy Servants peace obtaine: us with thy joyfull bountie fill endles joys in us shall raigne. Gladd us nowe, as earst wee grieved send yeares of good, for yeares of ill: when thy hand hath us relieved, shewe us and ours thy glorie still. Both them, and us, not one exempt with thy beawtie beawtifie supplie with aide what wee attempt oure attempts with aide supplie. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ON THIS DAY I COMPLETE MY THIRTY-SIXTH YEAR by GEORGE GORDON BYRON THE REALM OF FANCY by JOHN KEATS EPITAPHS OF THE WAR, 1914-18: THE COWARD by RUDYARD KIPLING SUNSET WINGS by DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI IF WE KNEW; OR, BLESSINGS OF TO-DAY by MAY LOUISE RILEY SMITH SONNET TO NIGHT by JOSEPH BLANCO WHITE |