Upborne aloft on venturous wing,
While spurning earthly themes I soar
Through paths untrod before,
What God, what seraph shall I sing?
Whom but Thee should I proclaim,
Author of this wondrous frame?
Eternal, uncreated Lord,
Enshrined in glory’s radiant blaze!
At whose prolific voice, whose potent word,
Commanded Nothing swift retired, and worlds began their race.

Thou, brooding o’er the realms of night,
The’ unbottom’d, infinite abyss,
Badest the deep her rage surcease,
And saidst, “Let there be light!”
Ethereal light Thy call obey’d,
Through the wide void his living waters past,
Glad she left her native shade;
Darkness tum’d his murmuring head,
Resign’d the reins, and trembling fled;
The crystal waves roll’d on, and fill’d their ambient waste.

In light, effulgent robe, array’d,
Thou left’st the beauteous realms of day;
The golden towers inclined their head,
As their Sovereign took His way.
The all-encircling bounds (a shining train,
Ministering flames around Him flew)
Through the vast profound He drew,
When, lo! sequacious to His fruitful hand,
Heaven o’er the’ uncolour’d void her azure curtain threw.

Lo! marching o’er the empty space,
The fluid stores in order rise,
With adamantine chains of liquid glass,
To bind the new-born fabric of the skies.
Downward the’ almighty Builder rode,
Old Chaos groan’d beneath the God,
Sable clouds His pompous car,
Harness’d winds before Him ran,
Proud to wear their Maker’s chain,
And told with hoarse-resounding voice come from afar.

Embryon earth the signal knew,
And rear’d from night’s dark womb his infant head;
Though yet prevailing waves his hills o’erspread,
And stain’d their sickly face with pallid hue.
But when loud thunders the pursuit began,
Backward the’ affrighted spoilers ran;
In vain aspiring hills opposed their chase,
O’er hills and vales with equal haste,
The flying squadrons pass’d,
Till safe within the walls of their appointed place;
There firmly fix’d, their sure enclosures stand,
Unconquerable bounds of ever-during sand!
He spake from the tall mountain’s wounded side,
Fresh springs roll’d down their silver tide:
O’er the glad vales, the shining wonders stray,
Soft murmuring as they flow,
While in their cooling wave, inclining low,
The untaught natives of the field their parching thirst allay.
High seated on the dancing sprays,
Chequering with varied light their parent streams,
The feather’d choirs attune their artless lays,
Safe from the dreaded heat of solar beams.

Genial showers, at His command,
Pour plenty o’er the barren land:
Labouring with parent throes,
See! the teeming hills disclose
A new birth: see cheerful green –
­Transitory, pleasing scene –
O’er the smiling landscape glow,
And gladden all the vale below.
Along the mountain’s craggy brow,
Amiably dreadful now,
See clasping vine dispread
Her gently rising, verdant head;
See the purple grape appear,
Kind relict of human care!

Instinct with circling life, Thy skill
Uprear’d the olive’s loaded bough;
What time on Lebanon’s proud hill,
Slow rose the stately cedar’s brow.
Nor less rejoice the lowly plains,
Of useful corn the fertile bed,
Than when the lordly cedar reigns,
A beauteous, but a barren, shade.

While in his arms the painted train,
Warbling to the vocal grove,
Sweetly tell their pleasing pain,
Willing slaves to genial love;
While the wild-goats, an active throng,
From rock to rock light-bounding fly,
Jehovah’s praise, in solemn song,
Shall echo through the vaulted sky.