O Lord, turn not away thy face (Anonymous)
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- (Posted 2025-09-07) CPDL #86678:
- Editor: Jason Smart (submitted 2025-09-07). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 107 kB Copyright: CC BY NC ND
- Edition notes: Edited from the 'Hamond Partbooks'. Original pitch and note values retained.
General Information
Title: O Lord, turn not away thy face
Composer: Anonymous
Lyricist: John Marckantcreate page
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SSTB
Genre: Sacred, Sacred song
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published:
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
O Lord, turn not away thy face
from him that lieth prostrate,
Lamenting sore his sinful life
before thy mercy gate,
Which gate thou openest wide to those
who do lament their sin:
Shut not that gate against me, Lord,
but let me enter in.
And call me not to mine accounts
how I have lived here,
For then I know right well, O Lord,
how vile I shall appear.
I need not to confess my life:
I am sure thou canst tell
What I have been, and what I am,
I know thou knowest it well.
O Lord, though knowest what things be past
and eke the things that be;
Thou knowest also what is to come,
nothing is hid from thee.
Before the heavens and earth were made
though knowest what things were then,
As all things else that hath been since
among the sons of men.
And can the things that I have done
be hidden from thee then?
Nay, nay, thou knowest them all, O L
where they were done and when
Wherefore with tears I come to thee
to beg and to entreat,
Even as the child that hath done evil,
and feareth to be beat.
So come I to thy mercy gate,
where mercy doth abound,
Requiring mercy for my sin,
to heal my deadly wound.
O Lord, I need not to repeat
what I do beg or crave:
Thou knowest, O Lord, before I ask
the thing that I would have.
Mercy, good Lord, mercy I ask:
this is the total sum,
For mercy, Lord, is all my suit;
Lord, let they mercy come.