Here Feast I At My Father’s Board
Who Starved Among The Swine;
For Me Must Every Foot Be Fleet
And Every Lamp Must Shine;
For Me The Merry Music Sounds,
The Dancers Dip And Twine.
My Heart Beats Fast Against My Robe,
The Best Robe, Soft And Red;
With Sobbing Breath And Tightening Throat
And Tears In Rapture Shed,
I Feel His Ring Upon My Hand,
His Blessings On My Head.
Ah, Bitter Was The Way, And Oft
My Blood My Path Would Trace;
And Guilt And Grief And Stabbing Shame
With All My Steps Kept Pace;
And Yet I Famished Not For Bread
So Sore As For His Face.
The Road Seemed Endless. On I Fared,
Wresting Each Mile From Death;
Then Such An Awe Upon Me Fell
I Scarce Could Draw My Breath;
My Spirit Felt His Coming As
Of One That Succoreth.
Blind, Fainting, To His Mighty Breast
He Caught And Held Me Fast;
I Knew The Fortress Of His Arms
About My Weakness Cast;
And, When He Kissed My Traitor Cheek,
I Guessed His Heart At Last.
The Piteous Words I Oft Had Conned
I Trembling Strove To Say;
But Sudden Glory Round Me Poured
A Brighter, Richer Day.
In Wonderment I Lifted Up
My Head That Drooping Lay.
The Glory Streamed From Out His Eyes,
As From All Beauty’s Throne.
O Depths Of Love Unthinkable
That In That Splendour Shone!
O Pain Of Love That Travaileth
And Bleedeth For Its Own.
O Gleam Of Wisdom Hoar With Eld
Ere Sang The Stars Of Morn!
O Shifting, Blending, Dazzling Lights
That Thrilled My Hope Forlorn
To Undreamed Miracles Of Joy
And Surge Of Life Reborn!
He Brought Me Home, And Here I Sit,
Even In My Boyhood’s Place;
And On My Very Soul Is Stamped
Each Largess Of His Grace;
But Still Transfiguring All I See
That Radiance Of His Face!
The Prodigal Son title, The Prodigal Son title, The Prodigal Son title, The Prodigal Son lyrics.