43. Our Lady's Presentation

Day breaks on temple-roofs and towers;
The city sleeps, the palms are still;
The fairest far of earth's fair flowers
Momits Sion's sacred hill.

O wondrous Babe! O child of grace!
The Holy Trinity's delight!
Sweetly renewing man's lost race,
How fair thou art, how bright!

Not all the vast angelic choirs,
That worship round the eternal throne,
With all their love can match the fires
Of thy one heart alone.

Since God created land and sea,
No love had been so like divine;
For none was ever like to thee,
Nor worship like to thine.

Angels in heaven, and souls on earth,
Thousands of years their songs may raise,
Nor equal thee, for thine was worth
All their united praise.

Not only was thy heart above
All heaven and earth could e'er attain, —
Thou gavest it with so much love,
'Twas worth as much again.

O Maiden most immaculate!
Make me to choose thy better part,
And give my Lord, with love as great,
An undivided heart.

Would that my heart, dear Lord! were true.
Royal and undefiled and whole,
Like hers from whom Thy sweet love took
The Blood to save my soul.

If here our hearts grudge ought to Thee, —
In that bright land beyond the grave.
We'll worship Thee with souls set free.
And give as Mary gave.