You that have spent the silent night
In sleep and quiet rest,
And joy to see the cheerful light
That riseth in the east.
Now clear your voice, now cheer your heart,
Come help me now to sing;
Each willing wight come bear a part
To praise the heavenly King.
And you whom care in prisons keeps,
Or sickness doth suppress,
Or secret sorrow breaks your sleeps,
Or dolours do distress -
Yet bear a part in doleful wise,
Yea think it good accord
And acceptable sacrifice,
Each sprite to praise the Lord.
The dreadful night with darksomeness
Had overspread the light,
And sluggish sleep with drowsiness
Had overpressed our might:
A glass wherein you may behold
Each storm that holds our breath -
Our bed the grave, our clothes like mould,
And sleep like dreadful death.
Yet as this deadly did last
But for a little space,
And heavenly day now night is past
Doth show his pleasant face,
So must we hope to see God's face
At last in heaven on high,
When we have changed this mortal place
For immortality...
Unto which joys for to attain
God grant us all his grave,
And send us after worldly pain
In heaven to have a place,
Where we may still enjoy that light
Which never shall decay.
Lord, for thy mercy lend us might
To see that joyful day.
Comments