Page:The Army and Navy Hymnal.djvu/171

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
There was a problem when proofreading this page.
MISSIONS AND WORLD PEACE


162 Angel of Peace
(AMERICAN HYMN. 10, 10, 10, 10, D.)
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1869 Matthias Keller, 1866
 
  1. Angel of peace thou hast wandered too long;
    Spread thy white wings to the sunshine of love!
    Come while our voices are blended in song,
    Fly to our ark like the storm-beaten dove,—
    Fly to our ark on the wings of the dove,
    Speed o'er the far-sounding billows of song,
    Crowned with the olive-leaf garland of love;
    Angel of peace, thou hast waited to long!
  2. Brothers we meet on this altar of thine,
    Mingling the gifts we have gathered for thee ;
    Sweet with the odors of myrtle and pine,
    Breeze of the prairie and breath of the sea,—
    Meadow and mountain and forest and sea;
    Sweet is the fragrance of myrtle and pine
    Sweet the incense we offer to thee ;
    Brothers once more round this altar of thine!
  3. Angels of Bethlehem, answer the strain!
    Hark! a new birth-song is filling the sky
    Loud as the storm-wind that tumbles the main,
    Bid the full breath of the organ reply,—
    Loud let the tempest of voices reply;
    Roll its long surge like the earth shaking main!
    Swell the vast song till it mounts to the sky!
    Angels of Bethlehem, eecho the strain! Amen

140