Hymn To Light Poem by David Mitchell

Hail, thou most sacred, venerable thing!
Of God created ere aught else was made!
May I attempt in verse thy praise to sing,
That art, and must exist unless thou fade?

Before the moon, before the stars and sun,
Thou with four words wast made: LET THERE BE LIGHT,
Said God; and at the word of the Almighty One,
Light was, destroying pre-eternal Night.

Before He separated Day from Night,
Before He made any material thing,
'Twas thee he made; thee, marv'llous dazzling light,
First substance e'er releas'd from Yahweh's wing,

And greatest of his creätures among,
Where should we be, and what, Light, without thee,
How should we live our decades long,
When not a glimmer could we see?

Poor people blind, of sight bereft,
Of all the senses th' worst to lose,
To have no sense of vision left,
It is a fate that few would choose.

But all our senses Death shall slay,
Together with our bodies weak:
Never to see the light of day,
That is a doom that none would seek.

It is a doom that all must take,
For all mankind are doom'd to die,
For one man one rule had to break,
And cause his children many a sigh.

Be not afraid, thou sinful man,
Be not afraid of certain death,
Be not afraid: one sinless man—
Be not afraid of thy last breath—

One sinless man, God's only Son,
Of Adam's sons alone sinless,
Who, tempted by the Evil One,
Was never seduced to transgress,

Upon himself took willingly
The punishment we merit all,
All our sins' burden He took, free,
O that such love should e'er befall!

To save us all, to save both me
And him and her and us and thee
From the Adversary's fearful flame;
O, blessed be the Lord God's Name!

DOXOLOGY
'All glory to the Father be,
All glory to the Son,
All glory, Holy Ghost, to thee,
While endless ages run.' Amen.