Nature, with all her powers shall sing

God the Creator, and the King;

Nor air, nor earth, nor skies, nor seas

Deny the tribute of their praise.

2 Begin to make his glories known,

Ye seraphs, who sit near his throne;

Tune high your harps, and spread the sound

To the creation’s utmost bound.

3 Thus let our flaming zeal employ

Our loftiest thoughts, and loudest songs;

Nations, pronounce with warmest joy

Hosanna, from ten thousand tongues.

4 Yet, mighty God, our feeble frame

Attempts in vain to reach thy name;

The strongest notes that angels raise

Faint in the worship and the praise.

Greatest of beings, source of life;

Sovereign of air, and earth, and sea!

All nature feels thy pow’r, and all

A silent homage pay to thee.

2 Waked by thy hand, the morning sun

Pours forth to thee its earlier rays,

And spreads thy glories as it climbs;

While raptured worlds look up and praise.

3 The moon, to the deep shades of night,

Speaks the mild luster of thy name;

While all the stars, that cheer the scene,

Thee, the great Lord of light, proclaim.

4 And groves and vales, and rocks and hills,

And every flower, and every tree,

Ten thousand creatures, warm with life,

Have each a grateful song for thee.

Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;

From realm to realm the notes shall sound,

And heaven’s exulting sons rejoice

To bear the full hosanna round.

2 When, starting from the shades of night,

Obedient, Lord, to thy behest,

The sun arrayed his limbs in light

And earth her virgin beauty drest;

3 Thy praise transported nature sung

In pealing chorus loud and far;

The echoing vault with rapture rung,

And shouted every morning star.

4 When bending from his native sky,

The Lord of life in mercy came,

And laid his bright effulgence by,

To bear on earth a human name;

5 The song, by cherub voices raised,

Rolled through the dark blue depths above,

And Israel’s shepherds heard amazed

The seraph notes of peace and love.

And shall not man the concert join,

For whom this bright creation rose—

For whom the fires of morning shine

And eve’s still lamps, that woo repose?

There seems a voice in every gale,

A tongue in every opening flower,

Which tells, O Lord! the wondrous tale

Of thy indulgence, love, and power.

2 The birds that rise on soaring wing

Appear to hymn their Maker’s praise,

And all the mingling sounds of spring

To thee a general paean raise.

3 And shall my voice, great God, alone

Be mute ’midst nature’s loud acclaim?

No; let my heart with answering tone

Breathe forth in praise thy holy name.

4 And nature’s debt is small to mine;

Thou bad’st her being bounded be,

But—matchless proof of love divine—

Thou gav’st immortal life to me.

Thou art, O God, the life and light

Of all the wondrous world we see;

Its glow by day, its smile by night,

Are but reflections caught from thee;

2 When day, with farewell beam, delays

Among the opening clouds of even,

And we can almost think we gaze,

Through opening vistas, into heaven—

Those hues that mark the sun’s decline,

So soft, so radiant, Lord, are thine.

3 When night, with wings of starry gloom,

O’ershadows all the earth and skies,

Like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume

Is sparkling with unnumbered dyes—

That sacred gloom, those fires divine,

So grand, so countless, Lord, are thine.

4 When youthful Spring around us breathes,

Thy Spirit warms her fragrant sigh;

And every flower that Summer wreathes

Is born beneath thy kindling eye;

Where’er we turn, thy glories shine,

And all things fair and bright are thine.

I sing th’ almighty power of God,

That made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad,

And built the lofty skies.

2 I sing the wisdom that ordained

The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at his command,

And all the stars obey.

3 I sing the goodness of the Lord,

That filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with his word,

And then pronounced them good.

Praise ye the Lord, immortal choir!

In heavenly hights above,

With harp, and voice, and soul of fire,

Burning with perfect love.

2 Shine to his glory, worlds of light!

Ye million suns of space;

Ye moon and glittering stars of night,

Running your mystic race.

3 Shout to Jehovah, surging main!

In deep eternal roar;

Let wave to wave resound the strain,

And shore reply to shore.

4 Storm, lightning, thunder, hail and snow,

Wild winds that keep his word,

With the old mountains far below,

Unite to bless the Lord.

5 And round the wide world let it roll,

Whilst man shall lead it on;

Join, every ransomed human soul,

In glorious unison.