"Consider the Lilies" (1887)
Words by M. W. T.
Music by Frederic Woodman Root, 1846-1916
(from page 71 of "The Repertoire")

1.
Delicate white-tinted blossom,
Heavy with incense and dew,
Fragile, and lovely, and tender,
Long I've been seeking for you.

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Beautiful, beautiful lily,
Heaven-sent emblem to me;
No king in his golden grandeur
Was ever arrayed like thee.

2.
Pearly-hued petals uprearing,
Out of the damp marshy ground,
Vision of loveliness springing,
Where litle beauty is found.

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3.
Naught but the word of the Father
Clothed thee in garment so fair,
Breathed o'er thy petals their fragrance,
Shaped thee so wondrously fair.

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4.
Emblem of innocent sweetness,
Snowy-hued purity thou,
Homage I cheerfully render,
And to thy loveliness bow.

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