COME, THOU HOLY SPIRIT, COME

A HYMN FOR WHITSUNTIDE

Translated from the Latin by Fr. Edward Caswall, 1849

1 Come, thou Holy Spirit, come,

and from thy celestial home

shed a ray of light divine;

come, thou Father of the poor,

come, thou source of all our store,

come, within our hearts to shine.

2 Thou of comforters the best,

thou the soul's most welcome guest,

sweet refreshment here below;

in our labour rest most sweet,

grateful coolness in the heat,

solace in the midst of woe.

3 O most blessèd Light divine,

shine within these hearts of thine,

and our inmost being fill;

where thou art not, man hath naught,

nothing good in deed or thought,

nothing free from taint of ill.

4 Heal our wounds; our strength renew;

on our dryness pour thy dew;

wash the stains of guilt away;

bend the stubborn heart and will;

melt the frozen, warm the chill;

guide the steps that go astray.

5 On the faithful, who adore

and confess thee, evermore

in thy sevenfold gifts descend:

Give them virtue's sure reward,

give them thy salvation, Lord,

give them joys that never end.