For The Beauty Of The Earth

 

"My beloved Shepherd is to me a cluster of henna flowers
in the vineyard of En-gedi, famed for its fragrant shrubs."
(Song of Solomon 1:14)

The Botanical Garden

Kibbutz  En-gedi

Judean Desert

Israel

Photograph by Ester Inbar

Image courtesy/Wikipedia

For the beauty of the earth; For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies,

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,

For the joy of ear and eye,  For the heart and brain's delight,

For the mystic harmony,  Linking sense to sound and sight,

For the joy of human love,  Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth, and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild,

For each perfect gift of Thine, To our race so freely given

Graces, human and divine, Flowers of earth and buds in heaven,

Christ our God,  to Thee we raise, This is our hymn of grateful praise.

Amen.

"For The Beauty Of The Earth"
(1864)
Folliott  Sandford. Pierpont
(1835-1917)
English hymn writer