Thy Mercy encompasses us O Lord, As life in the domain of death, As knowledge in the sea of ignorance, As the inebriating beauty of Thy Face Reflecting through earthly forms In a world which without them Would suffocate of its own ugliness. How to thank Thee, O Lord, When the very breath that thanks Thee Is vivified by Thy ever-present Mercy. For is not the very substance of existence The Breath of Thy Compassion manifested? And is not the love which quickens life A reflection of Thy Love for Thine own theophany?