Songs 1

¹Let heav’n arise, let earth appear,

said the Almighty Lord:

The heav’n arose, the earth appear’d,

at his creating word.

²Thick darkness brooded o’er the deep:

God said, “Let there be light:”

The light shone forth with smiling ray,

and scatter’d ancient night.

³He bade the clouds ascend on high;

the clouds ascend, and bear

A wat’ry treasure to the sky,

and float upon the air.

⁴The liquid element below

was gather’d by his hand;

The rolling seas together flow,

and leave the solid land.

⁵With herbs, and plants, and fruitful trees,

the new‐form’d globe he crown’d,

Ere there was rain to bless the soil,

or sun to warm the ground.

⁶Then high in heav’n’s resplendent arch

he plac’d two orbs of light,

He set the sun to rule the day,

the moon to rule the night.

⁷Next, from the deep, th’ Almighty King

did vital beings frame;

Fowls of the air of ev’ry wing,

and fish of ev’ry name.

⁸To all the various brutal tribes

he gave their wondrous birth;

At once the lion and the worm

sprung from the teeming earth.

⁹Then, chief o’er all his works below,

at last was Adam made;

His Maker’s image bless’d his soul,

and glory crown’d his head.

¹⁰Fair in th’ Almighty Maker’s eye

the whole creation stood.

He view’d the fabric he had rais’d;

his word pronounc’d it good.