Songs 24

¹Ye heav’ns, send forth your song of praise!

earth, raise your voice below!

Let hills and mountains join the hymn,

and joy through nature flow.

²Behold how gracious is our God!

hear the consoling strains,

In which he cheers our drooping hearts,

and mitigates our pains.

³Cease ye, when days of darkness come,

in sad dismay to mourn,

As if the Lord could leave his saints

forsaken or forlorn.

⁴Can the fond mother e’er forget

the infant whom she bore?

And can its plaintive cries be heard,

nor move compassion more?

⁵She may forget: nature may fail

a parent’s heart to move;

But Sion on my heart shall dwell

in everlasting love.

⁶Full in my sight, upon my hands

I have engrav’d her name:

My hands shall build her ruin’d walls,

and raise her broken frame.