Come Down, O Love Divine

Words: Bianco da Siena
Translated by Richard Frederick Littledale, 1867
Music: DOWN AMPNEY, Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906

1

Come down, O love divine,
seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing.
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.

2

O let it freely burn,
til earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

3

Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

4

And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the pow'r of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.

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