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Hymns and Homilies
St Ephrem the Syrian, tr. Burgess, 1853
24. Hymn 24: A Morning Hymn
Oh my loved friends,
Ye children of the Church,
Offer up your praise
At the season of the dawn:
Every morning let us give thanks,
And bow down in adoration,
To the good Being who hath arranged in order,
All the starry lights on high.
He hath rolled away the covering
From the regions of the earth;
And caused his light to beam forth
On all created things.
The bright ray of the morning
Waketh up the sleeper.—
Let Thy day-spring
Shine upon our hearts.
Let Thy glory, O Lord,
Be the subject of our song;
A living treasure
In the midst of our souls;
And as Thou hast caused us to come forth
From the shades of darkness,
So deliver us
From the place of torment.
Nourish in Thy compassion,
From Thine own gifts,
The children of the Church,
Who are dependent on Thee.
Let Thy tender pity become
An intercessor on our behalf;
Thou Lord of the mornings,
And of appointed seasons.
Lord, let Thy favour
Be a companion to us;
And by it may we arrive
At Thy great day.
Let the right hand of Thy loving-kindness
Deal bountifully with us;
And by it may we pass over
The sea of fire.
Thou Just One, who doth recompense
Every one according to equity,
Exact not from me
A rigid reckoning;
Let Thy mercies which accompany me,
Be my deliverer,
And by Thee may I attain
To the haven of life.
When the appointed scrutiny
Shall be by fire,
Sprinkle me with Thy dew,
Like the young men in the furnace;
When the flames furiously rage
Against those who have done wickedly,
Let me be united
With Thy holy ones, O Lord!
O Thou precious balsam
That can heal all wounds!
Give health to our sores
By the medicine of Thy tender mercies;
And in the society
Of Abraham and Isaac
And of Jacob, who were upright,
Unite Thou me, O Lord!
Let Thy body and Thy blood
Be to me a companion,
And by it let me be delivered
From the raging flame;
Let Thy cross become
The means of passage to all of us,
That we may pass over the abyss
Which is full of terror.
Behold this our convent
Calleth upon Thee;
Let us hear Thy voice,
“Come ye blessed of my Father;”
Thou lofty One, who art plenteous
In pity and loving-kindness,
Let Thy mercy raise us up on high
In the day of Thy appearing.
The high heavens and the earth
And all that is therein
Shall return thanks with us
Because of our conversion.
Let praise be to Thee
O Father, who art to be adored,
And to Thy only Son
And to the Holy Ghost!