Morning Hymn (Blessed art Thou) [version 2], by Grace Aguilar (ca. 1830s)

Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license

Date: 2023-05-21

Last Updated: 2023-05-21

Categories: Yotser Ohr

Tags: 19th century C.E., 56th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, paraliturgical modeh ani, teḥinot in English, waking, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: "Morning hymn (Blessed art Thou)" by Grace Aguilar was published posthumously by her mother Sarah Aguilar in Essays and Miscellanies (1853), in the section "Sacred Communings," pp. 224-225. In the UK edition of Sacred Communings (1853) the prayer appears with small variations of spelling and punctuation on pages 136-138. An additional abridged variation of this prayer can also be found on pages 92-93 of the UK edition. . . .

Content:

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Morning hymn.
	Blessed art Thou, O gracious and ever blessed God, who hast ordained another day should dawn in joy for me; blessed art Thou, who in Thy great mercy has ordained that I should wake in health and strength from the terrors of the dark and silent night.
	Thy shield was around me, Thy arm sustained me; even in sleep Thou wilt not forsake me, Thou withdrawest not Thine arm from me lest I sleep in death. Thou hast recalled my flittmg soul, and I wake, and rise, and move, and think, and my soul would praise Thee, O my God, but it knows not how.
	The sun shines forth in its splendour, and deluging all things with its flood of brilliant light proclaims the majesty of God.
	The little birds have raised their carol, and their voices sing to the praises of their beneficent Maker, but I know not how to utter forth the praises of our Father!
	My lips are mute, I look forth on all speaking nature, and my heart proclaims Thy power, and my soul is filled with gratitude and love, but words are lost, my lips refuse their office, though my glowing heart is lifted up to Thee.
	How can I praise Thee, O God, according to Thy works! How can I speak my grateful thanks for Thy never-ceasing goodness!
	O, teach me to walk in the ways of my God, that I may come nigh Thy footstool. O, lead me in the path of righteousness, that my soul may utter forth Thy praises, that my lips may speak my gratitude and love.
	Blessed art Thou, O God of Heaven and Earth; blessed be Thy great name for evermore.

“Morning Hymn (Blessed art Thou)” [version 2] by Grace Aguilar was published posthumously by her mother Sarah Aguilar in the UK edition of Sacred Communings, pp. 92-93. It is not found in the US edition.

Source(s)

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Co-authors:

Name: Grace Aguilar
Bio: Grace Aguilar (2 June 1816 – 16 September 1847) was an English novelist, poet and writer on Jewish history and religion. Although she had been writing since childhood, much of her work was published posthumously. Among those are her best known works, the novels Home Influence and A Mother's Recompense. Aguilar was the eldest child of Sephardic Jewish refugees from Portugal who settled in the London Borough of Hackney. An early illness resulted in her being educated by her parents, especially her mother, who taught her the tenets of Judaism. Later, her father taught the history of Spanish and Portuguese Jews during his own bout with tuberculosis which had led the family to move to the English coast. After surviving the measles at the age of 19, she began to embark on a serious writing career, even though her physical health never completely recovered. Aguilar's debut was an anonymous collection of poems, The Magic Wreath of Hidden Flowers. Three years later she translated Isaac Orobio de Castro's Israel Defended into English at her father's behest. Later her The Spirit of Judaism drew interest and sales in both Britain and the United States after being published in Philadelphia by Isaac Leeser. He added a preface to the work elucidating his differences with her, the first of many clashes her work would have with mainstream Jewish thought. In the 1840s her novels began to attract regular readers, and Aguilar moved back to London with her parents. Despite her success, she and her mother still had to operate a boys' Hebrew school to stay solvent, which she resented for the time and energy it took from her writing. In 1847, she became ill again with a spinal paralysis which she did not let prevent her from visiting her brother in Frankfurt. Her health worsened and she died there that September.
Website: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/aguilar-grace
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/grace-aguilar

Name: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)
Bio: Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)
Website: https://aharon.varady.net
Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

Featured Image:

Title: morning hymn (Blessed art Thou) [version 2] (Grace Aguilar 1853) – cropped
Caption: morning hymn (Blessed art Thou) [version 2] (Grace Aguilar 1853) - cropped