No, never shall I hold her in my arms,
Feel on my cheek the tears that she has wept,
Or pledge my life to keeping her from harm;
This Thou hast shown me; this I must accept.

I only ask that he whom she shall choose
Might be a man grown strong in love and prayer,
A man who knows, and shall not lightly lose,
The precious thing entrusted to his care.

And over all of this, one thing I plead:
That she might always Thy good creature be;
That she might know Thy love, profess Thy creed,
And, in the end, might come to rest in Thee.

I am not angered that she is not mine,
But oh! how horrid if she were not Thine!