O Thou, In Whose Presence

O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight,
On whom in affliction I call;
My comfort by day and my song in the night,
My hope, my salvation, my all.

Where dost Thou, dear Shepherd, resort with Thy sheep
To feed them in pastures of love?
Say, why in the valley of death should I weep,
Or alone in this wilderness rove?

Oh why should I wander, an alien from Thee,
Or cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed.

He looks, and ten thousand of angels rejoice,
And myriads now wait for His word;
He speaks, and eternity, filled with His voice,
Re-echoes the praise of the Lord.

Dear Shepherd, I hear, and will follow Thy call,
I know the sweet sound of Thy voice;
Protect and defend me, for Thou art my all,
And in Thee I will ever rejoice.
--Joseph Swain
 
I grew up hearing this song on Fernando Ortega's CD "This Bright Hour". I never knew it was about 200 years older than the CD. But in the last few days, I've listened to it quite a lot, and feel in love, again, with the beauty and simplicity of Ortega's version. Unfortunately, I cannot find a recording online, so you'll just have to take my word for it. This is a beautiful prayer and reads so much like a Psalm.
I hope you all had a beautiful, restive Easter celebration!