Prayer of the Indigent, Poem by Alphonse de Lamartine

O Thou whose ear inclines
To the nest of the poor sparrow,
To the blade of grass on the hill
That sighs for a little water;

Providence that consoles them,
Thou who knowest from what humble hand
Escapes the secret alms
With which the poor man buys his bread;

Thou who holdest in thy varied hand
Abundance and nakedness,
So that from their sweet commerce
May be born justice and charity;

Take upon thyself alone, O Providence,
To know our benefactors,
And to draw their reward
From the treasures of thy favors!

Our heart, which implores thee for them,
Is condemned to ignorance;
For always their left hand ignores
What their right hand has given.

Alphonse de Lamartine

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-prayer-of-the-indigent-alphonse-de-lamartine/