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From the Russian by Sir John Bowring
O THOU eternal One! whose presence bright | |
| All space doth occupy, all motion guide— | |
| Unchanged through time’s all-devastating flight! | |
| Thou only God—there is no God beside! | |
| Being above all beings! Mighty One, | 5 |
| Whom none can comprehend and none explore! | |
| Who fill’st existence with Thyself alone— | |
| Embracing all, supporting, ruling o’er,— | |
| Being whom we call God, and know no more! | |
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| In its sublime research, philosophy | 10 |
| May measure out the ocean-deep—may count | |
| The sands or the sun’s rays—but, God! for Thee | |
| There is no weight nor measure; none can mount | |
| Up to Thy mysteries; Reason’s brightest spark, | |
| Though kindled by Thy light, in vain would try | 15 |
| To trace Thy counsels, infinite and dark; | |
| And thought is lost ere thought can soar so high, | |
| Even like past moments in eternity. | |
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| Thou from primeval nothingness didst call | |
| First chaos, then existence—Lord! in Thee | 20 |
| Eternity had its foundation; all | |
| Sprung forth from Thee—of light, joy, harmony, | |
| Sole Origin—all life, all beauty Thine; | |
| Thy word created all, and doth create; | |
| Thy splendor fills all space with rays divine; | 25 |
| Thou art, and wert, and shall be! Glorious! Great! | |
| Light-giving, life-sustaining potentate! | |
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| Thy chains the unmeasured universe surround— | |
| Upheld by Thee, by Thee inspired with breath! | |
| Thou the beginning with the end hast bound, | 30 |
| And beautifully mingled life and death! | |
| As sparks mount upwards from the fiery blaze; | |
| So suns are born, so worlds spring forth from Thee; | |
| And as the spangles in the sunny rays | |
| Shine round the silver snow, the pageantry | 35 |
| Of heaven’s bright army glitters in Thy praise. | |
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| A million torches lighted by Thy hand | |
| Wander unwearied through the blue abyss— | |
| They own Thy power, accomplish Thy command, | |
| All gay with life, all eloquent with bliss. | 40 |
| What shall we call them? Piles of crystal light— | |
| A glorious company of golden streams— | |
| Lamps of celestial ether burning bright— | |
| Suns lighting systems with their joyous beams? | |
| But Thou to these art as the noon to night. | 45 |
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| Yes! as a drop of water in the sea, | |
| All this magnificence in Thee is lost:— | |
| What are ten thousand worlds compared to Thee? | |
| And what am I then?—Heaven’s unnumbered host, | |
| Though multiplied by myriads, and arrayed | 50 |
| In all the glory of sublimest thought, | |
| Is but an atom in the balance, weighed | |
| Against Thy greatness—is a cipher brought | |
| Against infinity! What am I then? Naught! | |
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| Naught! But the effluence of Thy light divine, | 55 |
| Pervading worlds, hath reached my bosom too; | |
| Yes! in my spirit doth Thy spirit shine, | |
| As shines the sunbeam in a drop of dew. | |
| Naught! but I live, and on hope’s pinions fly | |
| Eager towards Thy presence—for in Thee | 60 |
| I live, and breathe, and dwell, aspiring high, | |
| Even to the throne of Thy divinity; | |
| I am, O God! and surely Thou must be! | |
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| Thou art!—directing, guiding all—Thou art! | |
| Direct my understanding then to Thee; | 65 |
| Control my spirit, guide my wandering heart; | |
| Though but an atom midst immensity, | |
| Still I am something fashioned by Thy hand! | |
| I hold a middle rank ’twixt heaven and earth— | |
| On the last verge of mortal being stand, | 70 |
| Close to the realms where angels have their birth, | |
| Just on the boundaries of the spirit-land! | |
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| The chain of being is complete in me— | |
| In me is matter’s last gradation lost, | |
| And the next step is spirit—Deity! | 75 |
| I can command the lightning and am dust! | |
| A monarch and a slave—a worm, a god! | |
| Whence came I here, and how? so marvellously | |
| Constructed and conceived? unknown! this clod | |
| Lives surely through some higher energy; | 80 |
| For from itself alone it could not be! | |
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| Creator, yes! Thy wisdom and Thy word | |
| Created me! Thou source of life and good! | |
| Thou spirit of my spirit, and my Lord! | |
| Thy light, Thy love, in their bright plenitude | 85 |
| Filled me with an immortal soul, to spring | |
| Over the abyss of death; and bade it wear | |
| The garments of eternal day, and wing | |
| Its heavenly flight beyond this little sphere, | |
| Even to its source, to Thee, its author there. | 90 |
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| Oh thoughts ineffable! oh visions blest! | |
| Though worthless our conceptions all of Thee, | |
| Yet shall Thy shadowed image fill our breast, | |
| And waft its homage to Thy deity. | |
| God! thus alone my lowly thoughts can soar, | 95 |
| Thus seek Thy presence—Being wise and good! | |
| Midst Thy vast works admire, obey, adore; | |
| And when the tongue is eloquent no more, | |
| The soul shall speak in tears of gratitude. | |
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