They All Were Looking for a King

They all were looking for a king
To slay their foes and lift them high;
Thou cam’st a little Baby thing
That made a woman cry.

O Son of Man, to right my lot
Naught but Thy presence can avail;
Yet on the road Thy wheels are not,
Nor on the sea Thy sail.

My fancied ways why should’st Thou heed?
Thou com’st down Thine own secret stair;
Com’st down to answer all my need,
Yes, every bygone prayer.

Author: George MacDonald

Year: 1882

This is excerpted from George MacDonald's poem "That Holy Thing" (sometimes titled from its first line), which appeared in his 1882 collection "The Disciple and Other Poems". No other common attributions exist.