Songs of Farewell: VI. Lord, Let Me Know Mine End

Lord, let me know mine end and the number of my days,
that I may be certified how long I have to live.
Thou hast made my days as it were a span long
and mine age is as nothing in respect of thee,
and verily, ev'ry man living is altogether vanity.
For man walketh in a vain shadow,
and disquieteth himself in vain,
he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them.
And now, Lord, what is my hope?
Truly my hope is even in thee.
Deliver me from all mine offences
and make me not a rebuke to the foolish.
I became dumb and opened not my mouth,
for it was thy doing.
Take thy plague away from me,
I am even consumed by means of thy heavy hand.
When thou with rebukes does chasten man for sin,
thou makest his beauty to consume away,
like as it were a moth fretting a garment
ev'ry man therefore is but vanity.
Hear my pray'r, O Lord
And with thine ears consider my calling
hold not thy peace at my tears!
For I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner,
as all my fathers were.
O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence
and be no more seen.