The One Life

Thine are the riv­ers: Thine

O God

the pow­er

That bids them bear their wa­ters to the sea;

No cloud is mir­rored there at morn­ing hour

No wave up­lifts its surg­ing an­them free

Until the great com­mand is heard from Thee.

Thine are the mount­ains. To the thun­ders nigh

Sounding their ec­ho through the length of days

Unawed they stand

like gi­ants tow­er­ing high

In monu­ment­al state to speak Thy praise

Unshaken still

though lightn­ings are ablaze.

Thine are the for­ests

circ­ling mile on mile

Where la­by­rin­thine paths un­trod­den wind

Until our souls

all doubts to re­con­cile

Turn from these wid­en­ing realms to Thee

to find

The migh­ty pur­pose of Thy migh­ti­er mind.

Thine are all worlds

and Thine all realms of space

Whereon the stars mark out their shin­ing course;

Whate’er the sun­light clasps in its em­brace

Bears the im­press of love

whose ten­der force

Kindles the soul and trac­es out its source.

Thine are the heav’ns; the won­drous arch of blue

Up which the mon­arch sun shall proud­ly climb

And Thine the clouds of gold and pur­ple hue

With plan­ets laugh­ing at the march of time

And sha­dow­ing forth Thy mys­ter­ies sub­lime.

Thine are our souls! Our be­ings blend with Thine

Upreaching to­ward Thee through these long­ings high

Stamped with Thy seal

and hear­ing coun­ter­sign

Of that One Life in us

that grows di­vine

By love il­lumed

as we to Thee draw nigh.