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Only to rest where He puts me,
Only to do His Will,
Only to be what He made me,
Though I be nothing still.
Never a look beyond me,
Out of my little sphere.
If I could find another
God would not keep me here.
Only to take what He gives me,
Meek as a little child,
Questioning naught of the reason,
Joyful, or reconciled.
Only to do what He bids me,
Patiently, gladly, to-day,
Taking no thought for the morrow,
Leaning on Him all the way,
Only to watch in the working,
Lest I should miss His smile.
Only to still earth’s voices,
Listening to His the while.
Only to look at Him ever:
Only to sit at His feet,
All that He saith-to do it,
Then shall my life be complete.
Taken from Rafael, Cardinal Merry del Val: A Character Sketch, by F. A. Forbes.
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,
Iacobus, were these verses originally written in Italian or Latin? I would imagine Italian, though it’s just possible that it was Latin. As you know, Leo XIII wrote more than a few Latin verses, a couple of which I’ve put on Commentarium Meum; also here.
I think that they were originally written in English.
I quote from the same work:
So far, therefore, as nationality goes the Cardinal belonged in varying degress, to Ireland, Spain, Brittany, Scotland, and Holland. In mentality, tastes, sympathies, outlook, and habitual mode of though, he was, according to those who knew him best, predominantly English*.
*This statement may possibly be challenged. According to the verdict of his friend and secretary, Monsignor Canali, he had the best qualities of all five nations.
How delightful! Your quotation reminds me that I had read that before of him, that he had a range of national experiences in his background. Undoubtedly, he did have the best qualities of all five nations. So then perhaps the verses were originally just as we have them, in the English tongue?
Sorry, I had missed your first comment, when I reiterated my question.