Rees Prichard
Rees Prichard Poems
O Thou! by whom the universe was made,
Mankind's support, and never failing aid,
Who bidd'st the earth her various products bear,
...
O God of justice, health's immortal Sire!
Thou Judge of all! thou raiser of the low!
O hear my suit, and grant me my desire,
...
Thou guardian of the weak, thou poor man's friend!
Hear from thy glorious throne, Almighty God!
That dost thine aid to fearful trav'lers lend,
...
O Thou, that keepest hell's abyss close-barr'd,
And o'er its gates hast set a constant guard,
That Satan hast enchain'd, and death o'erthrown,
...
Ye, who have felt the serpent's venom'd bite,
Coem all to Christ, the woman's promis'd seed,
He'll dress the sore, and pluck the sting out quite,
...
MY gracious Lord! --
Be not surpriz'd to see
An humble Clergyman, of mean degree,
With such a simple Book the Man accost,
...
MY shepherd is the Lord above,
Who ne'er will suffer me to rove;
In Him I'll trust; he is so good,
He'll never let me want for food.
...
LET ev'ry man, his head and grateful eyes,
To God, our gen'rous caterer, lift up,
And beg of him with supplicating cries,
...
Whoever a religious life wou'd live,
Submissive to the will of his dread Sire,
He first of all most earnestly must strive
...
To get some pounds, and thy good name abuse -
To get, thro' loss of fame, mere dung and dross -
To get much wealth, and thy salvation lose,
...
If thou'rt a Dealer, honest be each act,
And fairly pay for what to thee is sold;
Be to thy promise and thy word exact :
...
What sorrows in my soul, O God! arise,
The vast perverseness of mankind to see?
Shou'd any strive to lead them to the skies,
...
MY dearest child, to me draw near,
Unto my precepts lend an ear,
And, all thy life, to them attend,
If thou wou'dst unto God ascend.
...
Let holiness upon thy front appear,
That all the people plainly may observe,
By the behaviour thou art wont to bear,
...
I Know, my brother, 'twas thy fervant zeal
For God, and for the Christian commonweal,
That made thee ask me at the present time,
...
Thou, that feedest ev'ry creature,
Whether tame, or wild by nature,
Receive our prayers, who humbly own
The plenteous goodness thou hast shown!
...
Thou, by whom erst five thousand folks were fed
With two small fishes and five loaves of bread,
Fill us, thy humble servants, with such food,
...
Awake, my sluggish soul! from sleep awake,
And with a heart sincere attempt to sing
(In the most daring flight thy thoughts can take)
...
...Thy Sabbaths I profanely spent
In riot and vain merriment,
Or, which is worse, in drunkenness,
And ev'ry blameable excess.
...
LET's to Bethlehem all advance,
With song, with merriment, and dance,
And see the blest Redeemer, born
To us, on this auspicious morn.
...
Rees Prichard Biography
Rhys Prichard (1579–1644) was a Welsh clergyman and poet. He was vicar of Llandovery in the west of Wales and held various posts at St David's Cathedral. He was known as "Yr Hen Ficer" ("the Old Vicar") Prichard, who was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, composed many poems on religious themes. His greatest fame lies with his influential poem Cannwyll y Cymry (usually translated as The Welshman's Candle) - a collection of poetical teachings and moral guidance.)
The Best Poem Of Rees Prichard
The Farmer's Prayer
O Thou! by whom the universe was made,
Mankind's support, and never failing aid,
Who bidd'st the earth her various products bear,
Who waterest the soft'ned soil with rain,
Who givest vegetation to the grain.
Unto a peasant's ardent pray'r give ear!
I now intend, with care, my land to dress,
And in its fertile womb to sow my grain;
Which, if, O God! thou deignest not to bless,
I never shall receive, or see, again.
In vain to plant, in vain to sow,
In vain to harrow well the levell'd plain,
If thou wilt not command the seed to grow,
And shed thy blessing on the bury'd grain.
For not a single corn will rush to birth
Of all that I've intrusted to the earth,
If thou dost not enjoin the blade to spring,
And the young shoot to full perfection bring.
I therefore beg thy blessing on my lands,
O Lord! and on the labour of my hands,
That I thereby, may as a Christian, live,
And my support, and maintenance receive!
Open the windows of the skies, and pour
Thy blessings on them in a genial show'r;
My corn with earth's prolific fatness feed,
And give increase to all my cover'd seed!
Let not the skies, like brass in fusion, glow,
Nor th' earth, with heat, as hard as iron grow,
Let not our pastures and our meads of hay,
For our supine neglect of Thee, decay!
But give us in good time and measure meet,
A temp'rate season, and sufficient heat,
Give us the former and the latter rains,
Give peace and plenty to the British swains.
The locust and the cankerworm restrain,
The dew, that blights and tarnishes the grain,
The drought, the nipping winds, the lightning's glare,
Which to the growing corn pernicious are.
O, let the year be with thy goodness crown'd,
Let it with all thy choicest gifts abound,
Let bleating flocks each fertile valley fill,
And lowing herds adorn each rising hill!
Give to the sons of men their daily bread,
Give grass to the mute beasts, that crop the mead,
Give wine and oil, to those that till the field,
And let thy heritage abundance yield.
Give us a harvest with profusion crown'd,
Let ev'ry field and yard with corn abound,
Let herbs each garden, fruit each orchard fill,
Let rocks their honey, kine their milk distill.
Prosper our handy-work, thou gracious God!
And further our endeavours with success:
So, on our knees, shall we thy name applaud,
And night and morn our benefactor bless.
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