Exalted be God, his Maker, throned above,Constant in kindness, steadfastness, and love;
He shuns betrayal, holds it in contempt,No pledge of his was ever cold or exempt;
As though affection dearly cherished me,And wheresoe'er I went, would follow thee;
He watched o'er me, would gaze with tender eye,And draw me close — I could not pass him by;
True, he is but an animal, it seems,Yet none like him in faithfulness redeems;
Such tenderness for me, such warmth untold,No tongue could ever speak his worth in gold;
When sorrow overflowed within my breast,And tears gleamed in mine eyes, bereft, oppressed,
I saw him draw near unto me that hour,His closeness softened grief's oppressive power;
His bark seemed word that guarded well our door,No heedlessness, no slumber any more;
Without dull weariness or fretful pain,Thou art my sentinel, my knight, my gain;
Thou art my faithful hound, my guardian bold,My cherished comrade, valiant to behold;
Had not thy whispered mercy been my friend,This day despair had been my bitter end.
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