O Light That Knew No Dawn

O light that knew no dawn,
That shines to end­less day,
All things in earth and Heav’n
Are lus­tered by Thy ray;
No eye can to Thy throne as­cend,
Nor mind Thy bright­ness com­pre­hend.

Thy grace, O Fa­ther, give,
That I might serve in fear;
Above all boons, I pray,
Grant me Thy voice to hear;
From sin Thy child in mer­cy free,
And let me dwell in light with Thee.

That, cleansed from stain of sin,
I may meet hom­age give;
And pure in heart, be­hold
Thy beau­ty while I live;
Clean hands in ho­ly wor­ship raise,
And Thee, O Christ my Sav­ior, praise.

In sup­pli­ca­tion meek
To Thee I bend the knee;
O Christ, when Thou shalt come,
In love re­mem­ber me,
And in Thy king­dom, by Thy grace,
Grant me a hum­ble serv­ant’s place.

Thy grace, O Fa­ther, give,
I hum­bly Thee implore;
And let Thy mer­cy bless
Thy serv­ant more and more.
All grace and glo­ry be to Thee,
From age to age eter­nal­ly.

Words: Gregory of Nazianzus, (325-390).