Evening prayer II

EVENING PRAYER II

Oh God, how hard it is to part
from this so wretched earthly happiness.
Will You then please prepare our hearts
for death, convert Yourself our worldly-mindedness

and break the strong bonds, binding us
to life with all its shame and all its honour,
and to the hearts of all those loving us…,
this above all, this is so strong and tender.

So tender, if You only sigh,
the bonds break with all that we loved,
so strong yet that, whatever may come by,
it lives, though heavens shake above,
until it wins the joys divine
of Your infinite, sacred love.