O Beauty Ever Ancient

Words: St. Augustine from the Confessions, adapted by Robert Loretz
Music: Norwegian medieval traditional, arranged by Robert Loretz
This hymn uses a hauntingly beautiful Norwegian folk melody to set words adapted from the Confessions of St. Augustine, from the famous passage "Late have I loved You..." The saint marvels at the presence of God, who was with him even while his heart was far from God. He tells how God relentlessly sought and found him, and continues to draw him into full union through the Eucharist, the 'food of true maturity' that makes us into Christ's Body.

O Beauty ever ancient
and yet so new,
How I hunger and thirst,
now I have tasted You,
You were deep within me all the while
that I remained apart,
Now my soul will be restless,
until it rests in Your heart.

Your shout pierced my deafness
And drew me to Your call,
And my blindness was vanquished,
Your light dispelling all,
For Your scent I pant
And for Your taste
I hunger now so much,
For Your peace my soul is burning,
Now I have known Your touch.

O Beloved Eternity,
Eternal Truth, True Love,
How I sigh day and night now,
For You my God above,
When Your rays of light flashed brilliantly
and beat my feeble gaze,
Then my soul feared and trembled,
I was so far from Your ways.

When I first came to know You
You lifted me so high,
Your light truly blinding,
And then I heard You cry:
”I’m the food of true maturity,
So grow that you may dine,
You will not make me your body,
But I will make you Mine.”

O late have I loved You,
Beauty ancient and new,
How I hunger and thirst,
now I have tasted You,
You were deep within me
all the while that I remained apart,
Now my soul will be restless,
until it rests in Your heart.

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