Hushed was the ev­en­ing hymn,
The tem­ple courts were dark;
The lamp was burn­ing dim
Before the sac­red ark;
When sud­den­ly a voice di­vine
Rang through the si­lence of the shrine.

The old man, meek and mild,
The priest of Is­ra­el, slept;
His watch the tem­ple child,
The lit­tle Le­vite, kept;
And what from Eli’s sense was sealed
The Lord to Han­nah’s son re­vealed.

O give me Sam­uel’s ear,
The op­en ear, O Lord,
Alive and quick to hear
Each whis­per of Thy Word,
Like him to an­swer at Thy call,
And to ob­ey Thee first of all.

O give me Sam­uel’s heart,
A low­ly heart, that waits
Where in Thy house Thou art,
Or watch­es at Thy gates;
By day and night, a heart that still
Moves at the breath­ing of Thy will.

O give me Sam­uel’s mind,
A sweet un­mur­mur­ing faith,
Obedient and re­signed
To Thee in life and death,
That I may read with child like eyes
Truths that are hid­den from the wise.