To Thee, My God

Vladyslav Nazarchuk

This poem can also be sung as a hymn: click here for its melody.

To Thee, my God, I give my soul,
That You will catch me when I fall;
That You’ll forgive my grisly sin
Which hath destroyed me from within.
I see black clouds descend on me,
And send to You a desp’rate plea.
Lord Jesus Christ, please hear me cry:
“Don’t leave me here alone to die!”

In darkness and in filth I lie
Like one dumb pig in its pigsty.
I’ve sinned so much, yet do not stop,
But day by day ingest this slop.
I’ve masturbated, drank, and lied;
I’ve been a wastrel, full of pride.
I search my cold heart from within,
And find there every kind of sin!

I know that if I die today,
I’ll come to Thee on Judgement Day.
You’ll read to me the things I’ve done,
And how will I respond to one?
You’ll tell me then, “Of Me you’re free,”
And give Thy angels charge o’er me.
They’ll throw me down from Heaven’s spire
Into the everlasting fire!

But Thou art merciful, O Lord,
And wished to see Thine own restored.
You came in flesh unto the earth,
And man became by virgin birth.
You taught, and healed, and were betrayed,
Mocked, beaten, crowned with thorns, and flayed;
And as You stood and bled, they cried:
“We want Him to be crucified!”

And on that dark and horrid day,
The earth was shook, the sun turned gray;
When, Adam’s skull and bones among,
Our Savior from a cross was hung!
I stood there, too, among the crowd,
And wept unto Your burial shroud:
For, when I sin—and this I rue—
I nail You to the tree anew!

But then, from dead we saw You rise,
And Death fell down before our eyes;
While we, of ancient curse relieved,
In Thy great mercy thus believed:
That if we but repent and pray,
And do Thy will as best we may,
Then all our sin You will forgive,
And with You we’ll forever live!

Besides, You’ve shown to me my fate—
Where I will go on my death date.
From sleep I’ll wake, in black robes clad:
My whole life—like a dream I had.
By me will run, through a ravine,
A gurgling brook with fish unseen.
In yonder village, there will be
Bards with my secret melody!

And as I listen, I will rise
Along these slopes of paradise,
Until a Gothic church I’ll see,
With graves in shadow from a tree.
Inside I’ll go, and to the right
Will stand my tomb; but, without fright,
Before the altar I will lay:
With weeping, grateful eyes I’ll pray!

Then, in the doorway will appear
My guardian angel, to me dear.
He’ll raise me up, and gently guide,
Through colored glass, back outside.
And in the shade, all those I’ll see
Whom I have saved, and who’ve saved me.
As one, we’ll join into a ring,
And, hand in hand, we’ll dance and sing:

O Cherubim, O Seraphim,
You holy things that sit by Him!
O Thrones, His chariot’s fiery rings!
O angels’ host, with glist’ning wings!
O martyrs bright! O monks demure!
O Mary, Virgin ever-pure!
O God, O Trinity, O Lord…
Don’t leave me of Thine own accord!

But rather, turn to me Thy face,
And let me not live in disgrace:
For every day in sin I spend
Will make it harder to repent.
I love You, Jesus, and I will
Serve You until my breath grows still;
And though I’ve loved my earthly toys,
You’ll turn them into heav’nly joys!

Along there flies a nightingale,
With broken wing, through storms and hail.
He sought in foreign land to gain,
But found there only death and pain.
He flies into his father’s nest,
And in his wings finds warmth and rest.
His father says, “Rejoyce ye all!
My son has come back to my hall!”