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For The Beauty

            For The Beauty of the Earth




            For the beauty of each hour,
            Of the day and of the night,
            Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
            Sun and moon, and stars of light.

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            For the joy of ear and eye,
            For the heart and mind's delight,
            For the mystic harmony
            Linking sense to sound and sight.

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            For the joy of human love,
            Brother, sister, parent, child,
            Friends on earth and friends above,
            For all gentle thoughts and mild.

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            For Thy church, that evermore
            Lifteth holy hands above,
            Offering up on every shore
            Her pure sacrifice of love.

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            For the martyrs' crown of light,
            For Thy prophets' eagle eye,
            For Thy bold confessors' might,
            For the lips of infancy.

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            For Thy virgins' robes of snow,
            For Thy maiden-mother mild,
            For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
            Jesu, Victim undefiled.

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            For Thyself, best Gift Divine,
            To the world so freely given,
            For that great, great love of Thine,
            Peace on earth and joy in heaven.