King of Saints, to Whom the Number

King of saints

to whom the num­ber

Of Thy star­ry host is known

Many a name

by man for­got­ten

Lives for­ev­er round Thy throne;

Lights

which earth-born mists have dark­ened

There are shin­ing full and clear

Princes in the court of Heav­en

Nameless

un­re­mem­bered here.

In the roll of Thine apos­tles

One there stands

Bar­tho­lo­mew

He for whom today we of­fer

Year by year

our prais­es due;

How he toiled for Thee and suf­fered

None on earth can now re­cord;

All his saint­ly life is hid­den

In the know­ledge of his Lord.

Was it he

be­neath the fig tree

Seen of Thee

and guile­less found;

He who saw the good he longed for

Rise from Na­za­reth’s bar­ren ground;

He who met his ris­en Mas­ter

On the shore of Ga­li­lee;

He to whom the word was spok­en

Greater things thou yet shall see?

None can tell us; all is writ­ten

In the Lamb’s great book of life

All the faith

and pray­er

and pa­tience

All the toil­ing

and the strife;

There are told Thy hid­den trea­sures;

Number us

O Lord

with them

When Thou mak­est up the jew­els

Of Thy liv­ing di­adem.