Desire

    Thou, who dost dwell alone⁠—
    Thou, who dost know thine own⁠—
    Thou, to whom all are known
    From the cradle to the grave⁠—
        Save, oh, save.
    From the world’s temptations,
      From tribulations;
    From that fierce anguish
    Wherein we languish;
    From that torpor deep
    Wherein we lie asleep,
Heavy as death, cold as the grave;
        Save, oh, save.

    When the Soul, growing clearer,
      Sees God no nearer:
    When the Soul, mounting higher,
      To God comes no nigher:
    But the arch-fiend Pride
    Mounts at her side,
    Foiling her high emprize,
    Sealing her eagle eyes,
    And, when she fain would soar,
    Makes idols to adore;
    Changing the pure emotion
    Of her high devotion,
    To a skin-deep sense
    Of her own eloquence:
Strong to deceive, strong to enslave⁠—
        Save, oh, save.

    From the ingrain’d fashion
    Of this earthly nature
    That mars thy creature.
    From grief, that is but passion;
    From mirth, that is but feigning;
    From tears, that bring no healing;
    From wild and weak complaining;
      Thine old strength revealing,
        Save, oh, save.
    From doubt, where all is double:
    Where wise men are not strong:
    Where comfort turns to trouble:
    Where just men suffer wrong:
    Where sorrow treads on joy:
    Where sweet things soonest cloy:
    Where faiths are built on dust:
    Where Love is half mistrust,
Hungry, and barren, and sharp as the sea;
        Oh, set us free.
    O let the false dream fly
    Where our sick souls do lie
      Tossing continually.
    O where thy voice doth come
      Let all doubts be dumb:
      Let all words be mild:
      All strifes be reconcil’d:
      All pains beguil’d.
    Light bring no blindness;
    Love no unkindness;
    Knowledge no ruin;
    Fear no undoing.
    From the cradle to the grave,
        Save, oh, save.