A Favorite Song

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies.
For the love from which our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of joyful praise.

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:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of joyful praise.

For the beauty of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends of earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of joyful praise.

For each perfect gift of thine
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of joyful praise.

By John Rutter, 1864