Latest born of Jesse’s race, + 

Wonder lights thy bashful face, + 

While the Prophet’s gifted oil + 

Seals thee for a path of toil. + 

We, thy Angels, circling round thee, + 

Ne’er shall find thee as we found thee, + 

When thy faith first brought us near + 

In thy lion-fight severe. + 

Go! and mid thy flocks awhile + 

At thy doom of greatness smile; + 

Bold to bear God’s heaviest load, + 

Dimly guessing of the road⁠— + 

Rocky road, and scarce ascended, + 

Though thy foot be angel-tended. + 

Twofold praise thou shalt attain, + 

In royal court and battle plain; + 

Then comes heart-ache, care, distress, + 

Blighted hope, and loneliness; + 

Wounds from friend and gifts from foe, + 

Dizzied faith, and guilt, and woe; + 

Loftiest aims by earth defiled, + 

Gleams of wisdom sin-beguiled, + 

Sated power’s tyrannic mood, + 

Counsels shared with men of blood, + 

Sad success, parental tears, + 

And a dreary gift of years. + 

Strange, that guileless face and form + 

To lavish on the scarring storm! + 

Yet we take thee in thy blindness, + 

And we buffet thee in kindness; + 

Little chary of thy fame⁠— + 

Dust unborn may bless or blame⁠— + 

But we mould thee for the root + 

Of man’s promised healing Fruit, + 

And we mould thee hence to rise, + 

As our brother, to the skies. + 