197 Hymn of the Knights Templars

MOTHER of God! as evening falls

Upon the silent sea,

And shadows veil the mountain walls,

We lift our souls to thee!

From lurking perils of the night,

The desert’s hidden harms,

From plagues that waste, from blasts that smite,

Defend thy men-at-arms!

Mother of God! thy starry smile

Still bless us from above!

Keep pure our souls from passion’s guile,

Our hearts from earthly love!

Still save each soul from guilt apart

As stainless as each sword,

And guard undimmed in every heart

The image of our Lord!

In desert march or battle’s flame,

In fortress and in field,

Our war-cry is thy holy name,

Thy love our joy and shield!

And if we falter, let thy power

Thy stern avenger be,

And God forget us in the hour

We cease to think of thee!

Mother of God! the evening fades

On wave and hill and lea,

And in the twilight’s deepening shades

We lift our souls to thee!

In passion’s stress—the battle’s strife,

The desert’s lurking harms,

Maid-Mother of the Lord of Life,

Protect thy men-at-arms!