To God, Ye Choir Above, Begin

To God

ye choir ab­ove

be­gin

A hymn so loud and strong

That all the uni­verse may hear

And join the grate­ful song.

Praise Him

thou sun

who dwells un­seen

Amidst trans­cend­ent light

Where thy re­fulg­ent orb would seem

A spot

as dark as night.

Thou sil­ver moon

ye host of stars

The uni­vers­al song

Through the se­rene and si­lent night

To list­en­ing worlds pro­long.

Sing Him

ye dist­ant worlds and suns

From whence no tra­vel­ing ray

Hath yet to us

through ag­es past

Had time to make its way.

Assist

ye rag­ing storms

and bear

On ra­pid wings His praise

From north to south

from east to west

Through Heav­en

and earth

and seas.

Exert your voice

ye fu­ri­ous fires

That rend the wa­tery cloud

And thun­der to this ne­ther world

Your mak­er’s words aloud.

Ye works of God

that dwell un­known

Beneath the roll­ing main;

Ye birds

that sing among the groves

And sweep the az­ure plain;

Ye state­ly hills

that rear your heads

And tow­er­ing pierce the sky;

Ye clouds

that with an aw­ful pace

Majestic roll on high;

Ye in­sects small

to which one leaf

Within its nar­row sides

A vast ex­tend­ed world dis­plays

And spac­ious realms pro­vides;

Ye race

still less than these

with which

The stag­nant wa­ter teems

To which one drop

how­ev­er small

A bound­less ocean seems;

Whate’er ye are

wher­e’er ye dwell

Ye crea­tures great or small

Adore the wis­dom

praise the pow­er

That made and gov­erns all.

And if ye want or sense or sounds

To swell the grate­ful noise

Prompt man­kind with that sense

and they

Shall find for you a voice.

From all the bound­less realms of space

Let loud ho­san­nas sound;

Loud send

ye won­drous works of God

The grate­ful con­cert round.