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As the bird, whose clarion gay
sounds before the dawn is grey,
Christ, who brings the spirit's day,
calls us, close at hand:
‘Wake!’ he cries, ‘and for my sake,
from your eyes dull slumber shake!
Sober, righteous, chaste, awake!
At the door I stand!’
Lord to thee we lift on high
fervent prayer and bitter cry:
hearts aroused to pray and sigh
may not slumber more:
break the sleep of death and time,
forged by Adam's ancient crime;
and the light of Eden's prime
to the world restore!
Now before thy throne, while we
ask, upon our bended knee,
that this blessing granted be,
and thy grace implore;
unto God the Father, Son,
Holy Spirit, Three in One,
One in Three, be glory done,
Now and evermore.
William John Courthope (1842-1917)