Ah, then, from thy fair throne above
Obtain for us thy children here,
To imitate thy childhood's love,
In after life to persevere.
23. Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the B. V. Mary.
(December 8th.)
Hail, Mary, only sinless child
Of guilty Adam's fallen race;
Conceiv'd all pure and undefil'd,
Through thy dear Lord's preventing grace.
He would not have the blight of sin
A moment rest thy soul upon;
For pure without, and pure within,
Must be the Mother of His Son.
No haughty fiend might boast that he
One moment held thee in his snare,
Who of the dread Divinity
Wert destin'd for the Temple fair.
So thou wert sinless in thy birth,
And sinless after as before;
The only creature of this earth
Whom sin ne'er cast its shadow o'er.
O sweetest lily! all untorn,
Though nurs'd the thorns of earth among,
To thee we sigh, to thee we mourn,
To thee we lift our suppliant song.
From Satan's snare preserve us free,
And keep us safe from earthly stain,
That in this world we pure may be,
And in the next may see thee reign.
