My in­fant, Lord, to Thee I glad­ly bring
She is of earth, and yet a heav’n­ly thing;
As the nude bird­ling in its mo­ther’s nest,
So is this ba­by on my anx­ious breast.

Refrain

Oh, like an an­gel, may she ev­er be!
And think, and speak, and act thro’ life for Thee!

A bird­ling, I would teach its ti­ny wings
To soar up, where each bright arch­an­gel sings,
To join the songs of flam­ing se­ra­phim,
And with the ran­somed sing th’eter­nal hymn.

Refrain

But Thou, and Thou alone, canst give it might
To spread her wings for re­gions out of sight;
To nes­tle in the glo­ries of a throne,
Which none can reach but love, and love alone.

Refrain

Then come, oh come, my ba­by take and train
For life’s great work! She must not live in vain;
Of mun­dane birth, a more than mun­dane thing,
To Thee, O Lord, my ba­by now I bring.

Refrain

To Thee I con­se­crate my help­less child,
Whose na­ture may be rough, and crook’d and wild,
If Thou dost not, with plas­tic pow­er di­vine,
Remold her in Thine im­age, yes in Thine.

Refrain

Breathe in her soul the life—th’eter­nal life,
Nor hat­red, pride, nor lust be ev­er rife
Within her heart; but as an an­gel, she
May ev­er feel, and speak, and act for Thee.

Refrain