Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit of greatest power,
Come down upon us and subdue us;
From Thy glorious mansion in the heavens,
Thy light effulgent shed on us.

Father beloved of every naked one,
From whom all gifts and goodness come,
Our hearts illumine with Thy mercy,
In Thy mercy shield us from harm.

Without Thy divinity there is nothing
In man that can earn esteem;
Without Thyself, O King of kings,
Sinless man can never be.

In succour Thou art all the best
Against the soul of wildest speech;
Food art thou sweeter than all;
Sustain and guide us at every time.

The knee that is stiff, O Healer, make pliant,
The heart that is hard make warm beneath Thy wing;
The soul that is wandering from Thy path,
Grasp Thou his helm and he shall not die.

Each thing that is foul cleanse Thou early,
Each thing that is hard soften Thou with Thy grace,
Each wound that is working us pain,
O best of healers, make Thou whole!

Give Thou to Thy people to be diligent
To put their trust in Thee as God,
That Thou mayest help them in every hour
With Thy sevenfold gift, O Holy Spirit generous!

      Anon - collected and translated from the Gaelic by Dr. Alexander Carmichael  (1832-1912)