Lord, Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly

Lord, guide and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces of the sky;
Be with them traversing the air
In darkening storms or sunshine fair.

Thou who dost keep with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight,
Thou of the tempered winds, be near,
That, having Thee, they know no fear.

Control their minds with instinct fit
What time, adventuring, they quit
The firm security of land;
Grant steadfast eye and skillful hand.

Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with Thy saving grace.
O God, protect the men who fly
Through lonely ways beneath the sky.

Author: Mary C. D. Hamilton

Year: 1915

Commonly attributed to Mary C. D. Hamilton (sometimes listed as Mary C. Hamilton); first appeared in 1915. Some later printings and hymnals have carried the alternate attribution "Unknown" or listed it as traditional, but the original publication credits Hamilton.