Latinised Hymns

Lord, thou hast brought us to our journey's end

Lord, thou hast brought us to our journey's end:
Once more to thee our evening prayers ascend;
Once more we stand to praise thee for the past;
Grant prayer and praise be honest at the last.

For all the joys which thou hast deigned to share,
For all the pains which thou hast helped to bear.
For all our friends, in life and death the same,
We thank thee, Lord, and praise thy glorious name.

If from thy paths, by chastening undismayed,
If, for thy gifts ungrateful, we have strayed,
If in thy house our prayers were faint and few,
Forgive, O Lord, and build our hearts anew.

If we have learnt to feel our neighbour's need,
To fight for truth in thought and word and deed,
If these be lessons which the years have taught,
Then stablish, Lord, what thou in us hast wrought.

So be our rest thy palaces most fair,
Not built with hands, whose stones thy praise declare:
Where war is not, and all thy sons are free,
Where thou art known, and all is known in thee.

C.A.Alington

Quo duce iter confectum est, Deus,
sub noctem tibi preces tollimus,
pro donis et laudamus, Domine:
utrumque fiat integra fide.

Dignate tot nobiscum gaudia
sentire, tot sufferre vulnera,
fidos dare usque ad mortem comites,
cum laude nostras gratias habes.

Grati parum si fuimus tibi,
si pervicaces atque devii,
si defuere coram te preces,
tu corda clemens nobis integres.

Sin accolam iuvare coepimus,
verum fovere totis viribus,
haec si per annos accessere, nos
a te confirma sic dispositos.

Te sponte nexi laudant lapides,
quo tecta muro nostra sit quies,
pax et libertas ubi maxima,
tu sciris et sciuntur omnia.

MM 16–21.8.98