You are, O God; and You were blest
Before the world be­gan;
Of Your eter­ni­ty pos­sessed
Before time’s hour­glass ran.
You need­ed none Your praise to sing,
As if Your joy could fade.
If You had need of any thing
You no­thing could have made.

O mar­vel­ous God, it pleasèd You
Your God­head to de­clare;
And what Your good­ness did de­cree,
Your great­ness did pre­pare.
You spoke, and Heav’n and Earth ap­peared,
Responding to Your call;
As if their ma­ker’s voice they heard
Which is each creature’s all.

And when You spoke, al­migh­ty Lord,
Your Word went forth with speed;
Your will, O Lord, it was Your Word,
Your Word, it was Your deed.
You brought forth Ad­am from the ground,
And Eve from out his side;
Your bless­ing made the earth abound,
As these two mul­ti­plied.

The three great realms, sky, sea and land,
Your name in fig­ures show;
Brutes feel the boun­ty of Your hand,
But I my mak­er know.
Should I not here Your ser­vant be,
Whose crea­tures serve me here?
My Lord, whom should I fear but You,
Who am Your crea­tures’ fear?

You on­ly, Lord, I’ll ev­er bless,
The Mak­er of my tongue!
Lo, ot­her lords would me pos­sess
But I to You be­long;
As riv­ers haste u­nto the sea,
And flesh in­to the earth;
So let my soul re­turn to You,
From whom it had its birth.

Alas! I’ve fal­len into night,
Cannot your glory see;
Yet speak the Word, Let there be light,
And I’ll en­ligh­tened be;
O let Your Word, most migh­ty Lord,
Your fal­len crea­ture raise;
O make me born again, and I
Shall sing my mak­er’s praise.