We give them back to thee, dear Lord, who gavest them
to us; Yet as thou dost not lose them in giving,
so we have not lost them by their return.
Not as the world giveth, givest thou, O Lover of Souls.
What thou gavest, thou takest not away, For what is thine
is ours also if we are thine. And Life is eternal
and Love is immortal, and death is only an horizon,
and an horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.
Lift us up, strong Son of God, that we may see further;
Cleanse our eyes that we may see more clearly;
Draw us closer to thyself so that we may know
ourselves to be nearer to our loved ones who are with thee.
And while thou dost prepare a place for us,
prepare us also for that happy place, that where thou art
we may be also for evermore.
Composed by William Penn (1644-1718)
Popularized by Fr. Bede Jarrett, O.P.
