st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

152 ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS.
VII.
Once in Thine image and Thy likeness moulded
Was man, the lord of all, in Eden folded ;
Till by the Tempter, envious of his blessing,
Beguiled he ate, Thy first command transgressing.
Wherefore the doom went forth : Return to dust,
For dust thou art. And yet, O Lord, we trust
Thy word, that rest remaineth for the just.
VIII.
I mourn and weep, at thoughts of death repining,
When in the grave all cold I view reclining
That form, now formless, once by God created
In His own image, and with beauty mated.
Strange, passing strange, this fate of man mysterious !
Corruption s prey, and yoked to death imperious.
God wills it : we His written promise keep,
That so He giveth His beloved sleep.
One more specimen may suffice. It is a Prayer
before the Holy Eucharist. As the entire hymn
might be thought too prolix, I have given
the first
half, or rather more, together with the closing lines :
A PRAYER.
With lips unclean, O Lord,
And with a heart defiled,
With tongue profaned and conscience stained
I come, Thy erring child.
O Christ !
reject me not
For ways or works of shame ;
But let me dare in trustful prayer
To call upon Thy name.
teach Thou me
Yea, rather,
Both what to do and say ;
For deep in sin as Magdalene]
My soul has gone astray.