The fast, as taught by ho­ly lore,
We keep in so­lemn course once more;
The fast to all men known, and bound
In for­ty days of year­ly round.

The law and seers that were of old
In di­vers ways this Lent fore­told
Which Christ, all sea­sons’ king and guide,
In af­ter ag­es sanc­ti­fied.

More spar­ing there­fore let us make
The words we speak, the food we take,
Our sleep and mirth, and clos­er barred
Be ev­ery sense in ho­ly guard.

In pray­er to­ge­ther let us fall,
And cry for mer­cy, one and all,
And weep before the Judge’s feet,
And His aveng­ing wrath en­treat.

Thy grace have we of­fend­ed sore,
By sins, O God, which we de­plore;
But pour up­on us from on high,
O par­don­ing One, Thy cle­men­cy.

Remember Thou, though frail we be,
That yet Thine han­di­work are we;
Nor let the hon­or of Thy name
Be by ano­ther put to shame.

Forgive the sin that we have wrought;
Increase the good that we have sought;
That we at length, our wan­der­ings o’er,
May please Thee here and ev­er­more.

We pray Thee, ho­ly Tri­ni­ty,
One God, un­chang­ing Uni­ty,
That we from this our ab­sti­nence
May reap the fruits of pe­ni­tence.