Turn Back, O Man

Turn back

O man

for­swear thy fool­ish ways.

Old now is earth

and none may count her days.

Yet thou

her child

whose head is crowned with flame

Still wilt not hear thine in­ner God pro­claim

Turn back

O man

for­swear thy fool­ish ways.

Earth might be fair

and all men glad and wise.

Age af­ter age their tra­gic em­pires rise

Built while they dream

and in that dream­ing weep:

Would man but wake from out his haunt­ed sleep

Earth might be fair and all men glad and wise.

Earth shall be fair

and all her peo­ple one:

Nor till that hour shall God’s whole will be done.

Now

ev­en now

once more from earth to sky

Peals forth in joy man’s old un­daunt­ed cry—

Earth shall be fair

and all her folk be one!