“ROCK of Ages, cleft for me,” | |
| Thoughtlessly the maiden sung. | |
| Fell the words unconsciously | |
| From her girlish, gleeful tongue; | |
| Sang as little children sing; | 5 |
| Sang as sing the birds in June; | |
| Fell the words like light leaves down | |
| On the current of the tune,— | |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, | |
| Let me hide myself in Thee.” | 10 |
| |
| “Let me hide myself in Thee:” | |
| Felt her soul no need to hide,— | |
| Sweet the song as song could be, | |
| And she had no thought beside; | |
| All the words unheedingly | 15 |
| Fell from lips untouched by care, | |
| Dreaming not that they might be | |
| On some other lips a prayer,— | |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, | |
| Let me hide myself in Thee.” | 20 |
| |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me,” | |
| ’T was a woman sung them now, | |
| Pleadingly and prayerfully; | |
| Every word her heart did know. | |
| Rose the song as storm-tossed bird | 25 |
| Beats with weary wing the air, | |
| Every note with sorrow stirred, | |
| Every syllable a prayer,— | |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, | |
| Let me hide myself in Thee.” | 30 |
| |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me,”— | |
| Lips grown agèd sung the hymn | |
| Trustingly and tenderly, | |
| Voice grown weak and eyes grown dim,— | |
| “Let me hide myself in Thee.” | 35 |
| Trembling though the voice and low, | |
| Rose the sweet strain peacefully | |
| Like a river in its flow; | |
| Sung as only they can sing | |
| Who life’s thorny path have passed; | 40 |
| Sung as only they can sing | |
| Who behold the promised rest,— | |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, | |
| Let me hide myself in Thee.” | |
| |
| “Rock of Ages, cleft for me,” | 45 |
| Sung above a coffin lid; | |
| Underneath, all restfully, | |
| All life’s joys and sorrows hid. | |
| Nevermore, O storm-tossed soul! | |
| Nevermore from wind or tide, | 50 |
| Nevermore from billow’s roll, | |
| Wilt thou need thyself to hide. | |
| Could the sightless, sunken eyes, | |
| Closed beneath the soft gray hair, | |
| Could the mute and stiffened lips | 55 |
| Move again in pleading prayer, | |
| Still, aye still, the words would be,— | |
| “Let me hide myself in Thee.” | |
| |
