The turf shall be my fragrant shrine

Top Media Text Author Text Info Tune Timeline Page Scans Instances

The turf shall be my fragrant shrine

Author: Thomas Moore
Published in 25 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 The turf shall be my fragrant shrine,
My temple, Lord! that arch of Thine;
My censer’s breath the mountain airs,
And silent thoughts my only prayers.

2 My choir shall be the moonlight waves,
When murmuring homeward to their caves,
Or when the stillness of the sea,
E’en more than music, breathes of Thee!

3 I’ll seek, by day, some glade unknown,
All light and silence, like Thy throne;
And all the pale stars shall be at night,
The only eyes that watch my rite.

4 Thy Heaven, on which ’tis bliss to look,
Shall be my pure and shining book,
Where I shall read, in words of flame,
The glories of Thy wondrous name.

5 I’ll read Thy anger in the rack
That clouds awhile the day-beams track;
Thy mercy in the azure hue
Of sunny brightness breaking through!

6 There’s nothing bright, above, below,
From flowers that bloom to stars that glow,
But in its light my soul can see
Some feature of Thy deity.

7 There’s nothing dark, below, above,
But in its gloom I trace Thy love,
And meekly wait that moment, when
Thy touch shall turn all bright again!

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #12060

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore United Kingdom 1779-1852. Born at Dublin, Ireland, the son of a grocer, he showed an early interest in music and acting. He was educated at a private school and Trinity College, Dublin. He read at the Middle Temple for the Bar. Moore did not profess religious piety. His translations of ‘Anacreon’ (celebrating wine, women, and song) were published in 1800, with a dedication to the Prince of Wales. He also wrote a comic opera, “the gypsy prince”, staged that year. In 1801 he published a collection of his own verse, “Poetical works of the late Thomas Little Esq”. A Catholic patriot, he defended the Church of Ireland, especially in later politics. In 1803 he held a post under the Government in Bermuda as regis… Go to person page >

^ top