Thou Hast Searched Me and Known Me

O Lord

in me there li­eth naught

But to Thy search re­veal­èd lies;

For when I sit Thou mark­est it

No less Thou not­est when I rise;

Yea

clos­est clo­set of my thought

Hath op­en win­dows to Thine eyes.

Thou walk­est with me when I walk;

When to my bed for rest I go

I find Thee there

and ev­ery­where;

Not young­est thought in me doth grow

No

not one word I cast to talk

But

yet un­ut­tered

Thou dost know.

If forth I march

Thou go­est be­fore

If back I turn

Thou com’st be­hind;

So forth nor back Thy guard I lack;

Nay

on me too Thy hand I find;

Well I Thy wis­dom may adore

But nev­er reach with earth­ly mind.

To shun Thy no­tice

leave Thine eye

O whi­ther might I take my way?

To star­ry sphere? Thy throne is there:

To dead men’s un­de­light­some stay?

There is Thy walk

and there to lie

Unknown

in vain I should as­say.

O sun

whom light nor flight can match!

Suppose thy light­ful

flight­ful wings

Thou lend to me

and I could flee

As far as thee the ev­en­ing brings;

E’en led to west He would me catch

Nor should I lurk with west­ern things.

Do thou thy best

O sec­ret night

In sa­ble veil to cov­er me:

Thy sa­ble veil shall vain­ly fail.

With day un­masked my night shall be:

For night is day

and dark­ness light

O Fa­ther of all lights

to Thee.