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Renaissance
SONG XXV
by Jan Kochanowski
What wantest Thou for all the lavish gifts of Thine?
What for Thy benefactions boundless and divine?
The Church contains Thee not, Thou thrivest everywhere:
Down in the depths and seas, the earth and in the air.
For gold Thou cravest not, it all belongs to Thee
Whate’er on earth a man may call his own to be.
And so with grateful heart we worship Thee, oh Lord,
Because no better offering can we afford.
Thou rulest the world, of Thee alone the skies were born,
Which Thou, with golden stars, so finely didst adorn;
Thou laidest the foundations of the earth immense,
Whose naked plains lie covered with Thy herbage dense.
The sea abides within its shores on Thy command,
And it dares not outside the drafted bounds expand;
With water all the rivers filled up to the brim.
The day and night obey their hours and hush their whim.
By Thy decree, all sundry flowers in Spring are born,
And so a grain-ear wreath does Summer’s head adorn.
Fresh wine and varied apples Autumn does beget.
And only then the Winter comes, when all is set.
And by Thy, grace night-dew will on dull herbage fall,
And sun-burnt crops the rain will soon to life recall.
All animals in search of food resort to Thee:
Thou feedest them out of Thy generosity.
Be praised our everlasting Lord! Be praised for ever!
Thy grace and Thy benevolence, oh, they cease never!
Look after us on earth until Thou wishest so,
And with Thy wings please cover us that walk below!
