O’er squan­dered wealth and wast­ed years,
In sin and fol­ly past,
A wretch­ed, starv­ing pro­di­gal
Awoke to mourn at last.
He press­ed his wea­ry, throb­bing brow,
And through his tears he said,
I spurned the home I might have shared
And now I starve for bread.

Refrain

I will arise and go at once,
My Fa­ther’s love im­plore,
Confess my wrong, His par­don seek,
And feed on husks no more.

Forsaken, friend­less, clothed in rags,
And poor as poor can be,
To low­est me­ni­al ser­vice brought,
A ty­rant’s slave was he;
He turned dis­gust­ed from the swine
That he so long had fed;
I can not from my Fa­ther stay,
With firm re­solve he said.

Refrain

I thought the world was what I dreamed,
My heart ob­eyed its call;
But now I find its fleet­ing joys
Are worm­wood after all.
Be warned, oh gay and thought­less ones,
That to the whirl­wind sow,
Let’s hast­en back to Fa­ther now,
He’s com­ing; let us go.

Refrain