Have mercy upon me,
Have mercy on us worms of earth,
Most Holy Trinity!
Most ancient of all mysteries!
Before Thy throne we lie;
Have mercy now, most merciful,
Most Holy Trinity!
When heaven and earth were yet unmade,
When time was yet unknown,
Thou in Thy bliss and majesty
Didst live and love alone!
Thou wert not born, there was no fount
From which Thy Being flowed;
There is no end which Thou canst reach:
But Thou art simply God.
How wonderful creation is,
The work that Thou didst bless,
And, oh! what then must Thou be like,
Eternal Loveliness?
How beautiful the Angels are,
The Saints how bright in bliss;
But with Thy beauty, Lord! compared,
How dull, how poor is this!
In wonder lost, the highest heavens,
Mary, their queen, may see -
If Mary is so beautiful,
What must her Maker be?
No wonder Saints have died of love,
No wonder hearts can break,
Pure hearts that once have learned to love
God for His own dear sake.
O Majesty most beautiful!
Most Holy Trinity!
On Mary's throne we climb to get
A far-off sight of Thee.
O listen then, Most Pitiful!
To Thy poor creature's heart;
It blesses Thee that Thou art God,
That Thou art what Thou art!
Most ancient of all mysteries!
Still at Thy throne we lie;
Have mercy now, most merciful,
Most Holy Trinity!
Frederick William Faber