More Hymns and Spiritual Songs ‎#10

10. God, though this life be but a wraith

1 God, though this life is but a wraith,
Although we know not what we use,
Although we grope with little faith,
Give me the heart to fight and lost.

2 Ever insurgent let me be,
Make me more daring than devout;
From sleek contentment keep me free,
And fill me with a buoyant doubt.

3 Open my eyes to visions girt
With beauty, and with wonder lit,
But let me always see the dirt
And all that spawn and die in it.

4 Open my ears to music; let
Me thrill with spring’s first flutes and drums,
But never let me dare forget
The bitter ballad of the slums.

5 From compromise and things half done,
Keep me, with stern and stubborn pride;
And when at last, the fight is won,
God, keep me still unsatisfied.

Text Information

• First Line: God, though this life is but a wraith
• Title: God, though this life be but a wraith
• Author: Louis Untermeyer (b. 1885)
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1971
• Topic: General
• Copyright: Used by permission
• Notes: Now Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: NEW HARTFORD
• Composer: William B. Schmidgall (1919-1972)
• Meter: L.M.
• Copyright: Used by permission