Depart from Me! Ye who with clamour rudely
Disturb the quiet of the peaceful night.
Within My house a congregation goodly
Of princes panoplied with spotless light
Are banqueting with songs of exultation,
And ye disturb them with your lamentation.
Depart from Me! Why in the darkness standing
And knocking at a door forever closed,
Admittance so persistently demanding,
When I to welcome you am not disposed?
Your lamps ye should have kept both bright burning and
In expectation of your Lord’s returning.
Depart from Me! Ye came not at My calling,
Tho’ oft I sent to you a summons glad;
After the garish world and things enthralling
The multitude ye cleave to drunk and mad.
These are the things that stopped your ears from hearing
The testimony raised to Mine appearing.
Depart from Me! Oh, had ye yet been wiser!
Oh, had ye only hearkened unto Me!
I called in love, but your accursed adviser,
Him only him ye wished to hear or see,
Yet I had given My only Son to save you,
And from your hateful trespasses to lave you.
Depart from Me! Ye met My love with laughter,
My earnest wooings were your scoff and scorn,
’Twas scant respect ye paid the long hereafter—
Oh, good for you ye never had been born!
Fools blind and deaf and desperate and daring,
Now terror-stricken, doleful and despairing!
Depart from Me! The day of retribution,
The day for you to weep and Me to laugh
Has dawned to your unspeakable confusion;
The day to part the pure wheat from the chaff;
The day to gladden every friendly vision,
And whelm My foes in darkness and derision.
Depart from Me! God’s terrors now have seized you,
And all too late for clemency ye cry;
Deaf to My pleading ye pursued what pleased you,
And now to your entreaties deaf am I.
You could not have your wilful way forever,
And I My way of truth and virtue never.
Depart from Me! The light of life ye hated;
Devouring darkness now your doom must be.
With your offences dark forever freighted,
Cursed with the curse of God—Depart from Me
Your prayers for mercy are as unavailing
As are your bitter weeping and your wailing.
Depart from Me! Give up your futile knocking!
To you belongs a tempest-laden night;
Past is the day in which your guilty mocking
Was challenge to a God of boundless might.
Him whom your eye shall never, never see.
Therefore ye godless proud DEPART FROM ME!