LEAD KINDLY LIGHT

 

          

LEAD KINDLY LIGHT

‘Lead Kindly Light’ is a famous hymn, written by John Henry Newman.

He was born in London on 21 Feb 1801 and died of pneumonia at the county house of oratory in Birmingham (UK) on 11 August 1890 .

To begin with, he was an Anglican priest but after his conversion became a cardinal.

Though a controversial figure in the religious history of England, Newman became a national figure by the mid 1840s . It was in 2019 that he was canonized as a Catholic saint.

In addition to “Lead Kindly Light”, Newman is also famous for “The Fragrance Prayer” in which he says : Dear Jesus, Help me to spread your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of yours.  

The hymn “Lead Kindly Light” which is reproduced below expresses the serene faith that Newman found in religion.

In fact, to live in this gloomy world, without facing obstacles and falling into various pitfalls, man needs God’s kindly light.

Here is the text of the hymn:

“Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,

Lead thou me on:

The night is dark, and I am far from home,

Lead thou me on.

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou

Should’st lead me on;

I loved to choose and see my path, but now

Lead thou me on.

I loved the garish day; and spite of fears,

Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.

So long thy power has blessed me, sure it still

Will lead me on.

O’er moor and fen, O’er crag and torrent, till

The night is gone,

And with the morn those angel faces smile,

Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

                             *********

G.R.Kanwal

27 Feb 2025