NOT unto us, O Lord, <br />Not unto us the rapture of the day, <br />The peace of night, or love's divine surprise, <br />High heart, high speech, high deeds 'mid honouring eyes; <br />For at Thy word <br />All these are taken away. <br /> <br />Not unto us, O Lord: <br />To us thou givest the scorn, the scourge, the scar, <br />The ache of life, the loneliness of death, <br />The insufferable sufficiency of breath; <br />And with Thy sword <br />Thou piercest very far. <br /> <br />Not unto us, O Lord: <br />Nay, Lord, but unto her be all things given-- <br />My light and life and earth and sky be blasted-- <br />But let not all that wealth of loss be wasted: <br />Let Hell afford <br />The pavement of her Heaven!<br /><br />Henry Cust<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/non-nobis/
