1 How sweet was the garden, fertile and fair,
the first and best home God gave to our care,
a paradise lavished on creatures of clay;
yet we were not willing to follow God’s way.
2 We freely could eat from all but one tree
(forbidden, perhaps, lest gods we might be?",
but tasting we grew not divine after all:
the fruit in our mouth turned from nectar to gall.
3 From dark, bitter fruit came forth a bright seed,
for God did not turn from us in our need;
the love that first formed us embraces us still
\and woos us from wandering to follow God’s will.
