Page:A Treasury of South African Poetry.djvu/292

266  unto us, O Lord,
 * But praise to Thee be given:

Thy love has saved us from the sword;
 * Thy grace, when we have striven.

Created, Thee to sing,
 * Save Thou our service bless,

The best that we can breathe or bring
 * Is very nothingness.

Not ours one holy thought,
 * Not ours one fleeting breath,

But that Thy grace the wonder wrought—
 * Thou, Lord of life and death.

And simply that we stand
 * Within this earthly light,

Was boon unsought, eternal planned
 * In counsels infinite.

But yet more wondrous far—
 * Left free our lot to choose,

Where gleam Thy rays, O Morning Star!
 * We follow, or refuse.