You help make Hymnary.org possible. More than 10 million people from 200+ countries found hymns, liturgical resources and encouragement on Hymnary.org in 2025, including you. Every visit affirms the global impact of this ministry.

If Hymnary has been meaningful to you this year, would you take a moment today to help sustain it? A gift of any size—paired with a note of encouragement if you wish—directly supports the server costs, research work and curation that keep this resource freely available to the world.

Give securely online today, or mail a check to:
Hymnary.org
Calvin University
3201 Burton Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Thank you for your partnership, and may the hope of Advent fill your heart.

11. O Thou, the One Supreme

1.
O Thou, the One Supreme,
O thou, the deathless King,
Be Thou my only theme:
Grant me Thyself to sing.
To Thee the hymn, to Thee the praise,
Celestial choirs for ever raise.

2.
For Thee the ages run
In order as was given;
For Thee shines forth the sun,
The day-born eye of heaven:
For Thee the moon, and grand array
Of stars, hold on their nightly way.

3.

With reasonable soul
For Thee learns favoured man
His passions to control,
And the Divine to scan;
For Thou of all Creator art,
Thou madst the whole and every part.

4.
All march in ordered band:
O'er all Thou hold'st the reins:
All creatures of Thy hand
Thy Providence sustains.
For Thou the word didst speak--'twas done--
That Word of Thine is God the Son.

5.
For of same honour He,
Thine own begotten Son,
In form and quality
With Thee the Father one:
Who placed all things in harmony,
That over all He King might be.

6.

And all Thy works infolding
In bonds of love and truth,
The Spirit all-upholding,
Renews creation's youth
Foreseeing, He for all provides,
And Guardian over all presides.

7.
Thee, Thee, the Triune King,
The One Eternal Lord,
Thee evermore I'll sing,
By earth and heaven adored,
The Three in One, the One in Three,
The ever-living Trinity.

8.
Immovable of mind,
Of ways past mortal ken,
The boundless, undefined,
Wisdom's deep origin,
Upholder of the heavenly towers,
Ruler of all created powers.

9.

Beginning none, nor end:
The self-sprung Light art Thou:
We cannot comprehend,
But to Thy Brightness bow,
Whose eye, repelling mortal gaze,
All things above, below, surveys.

10.
Unseen, yet ever near,
Father, propitious be:
This my petition hear,
This boon accord to me:
That Light to serve through endless day,
And have my sins all washed away;

11.
That I, with conscience clear
From every evil thought,
May love with filial fear,
And worship as I ought,
Pure holy hands and heart upraising,
And Christ the Lord for ever praising.

12.

To Thee I bend the knee;
When He shall come, grant me,
That I His glory see,
That I His servant be:
When He shall come--shall come again;
When He shall come--shall come to reign.

13.
Father, propitious be!
On me Thy mercy show!
Bow down Thine ear to me,
On me Thy grace bestow;
For Thine the glory, Thine the grace,
While countless ages run their race.

Text Information
First Line: O Thou, the One Supreme
Title: O Thou, the One Supreme
Translator: Allen W. Chatfield
Author: Gregory Nazianzen
Language: English
Publication Date: 1876
Notes: Public Domain.
Tune Information
(No tune information)



Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.