To Jesus Crucified

     Lovely tears of lovely eyes--

Why dost thou me so woe?

Sorrowful tears of sorrowful eyes--

Thou breakest my heart in two.

Thou sighest sore;

Thy sorrow is more

Than man's tongue can tell;

Thou singest of sorrow,

Mankind to borrow

Out of the pit of hell.

I proud and keen,

Thou meek and clean

Without woe or wile;

Tho art dear for me,

And I live for thee,

So blessed be thy will.

Thou mother seeth

How thou woe beest,

Therefore she yearns apart;

To her thou speakest,

Her sorrow thou slakest--

Sweet prayer won they heart.

Thy heart is rent,

Thy body is bent

Upon the rood tree;

The tempest is spent,

The devil is schent,

Christ, by the might of thee.

     Lovely tears of lovely eyes--

Why dost thou me so woe?

Sorrowful tears of sorrowful eyes--

Thou breakest my heart in two.

- Anonymous, 14th century; found in Bishop (Anglican) George Appleton's collection of prayers

I used to have a laminated copy of this prayer in my photo album. There was an illustration of a boy with a teddy bear kneeling by his bedside, while an angel looks invisibly to the side. I wonder what became of it.