Thanksgiving for Gracious Sunshine

Now gone is all the rain,
Rejoice my heart again,
Sing after times of sadness
To God thy Lord with gladness!
Our God His heart hath turnèd
Our pray’r He hath not spurnèd.

On sea and on our land
Outstretchèd was His hand,
In anger us addressing;
He said, “Ye’re aye transgressing,
In ways of sin ye wander,
Nor ever turn, nor ponder.

“So shall my Heaven’s light
Its countenance so bright
With robe of blackness cover,
With dark clouds be spread over;
No longer shine in glory
But shall be weeping o’er thee.”

Appeas’d His wrath our sighs
That to His ears did rise,
For He forgetteth never
His mercy that dures ever,
His Spirit tow’rd us yearning,
His anger ceas’d from burning.

The clouds away then sped,
The path the damp winds tread,
From whence the rain descended,
Was clos’d, the torrents ended,
And from the deeps of Heaven
No waters more were given.

Now wearied field away
Thy robe of sadness lay,
Arise from out thy sadness
And let us hear with gladness
Thee songs of summer raising,
Thy great Creator praising.

The glorious sun, see there,
Comes forth again so fair,
With blessings earth doth cover;
Now all the rains are over,
Hills, valleys are receiving
Its wondrous beams life-giving.

The earth’s reviv’d again;
What drown’d was by the rain
Will once again be living
And precious fruit be giving,
The fields good wheat forth bringing,
In meadows grass be springing.

The trees so very fair
Fruit-laden will stand there;
From hill-sides like a river
Will wine and oil flow ever;
In warm and quiet weather
Will bees their honey gather.

Our portion He will give
Who in the Heav’ns doth live.
He’ll bounteously bestow it,
We shall partake and know it;
And what earth will supply us
Will amply satisfy us.

God faithful is and true,
His mercy’s ever new,
His anger soon is turnèd.
He gives what we’ve ne’er earnèd
He doth Himself discover
To us, our sins looks over.

O man! direct thy ways,
And all thou dost, to praise
Thy Master’s love and favour,
So that thy heart may never
His faithful heart be grieving,
To Him offence be giving!

Paul Gerhardt’s Spiritual Songs, 1867