Filed under: Christ
Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance,
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul
Trumpethope19, posted this poem, when I was a young guy this was my anthem! He really brought back memories , but things have changed in my outlook on life, so I now post my version.
vincens ut vinceret , by Will Hapeman, [Sorry Mr. W.E. Henley]
Out of the night that covered me
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank my God for loving me,
and purchasing my soul.
In a long predicted circumstance
He bled but never cried out loud
Paying my price with Cross and Lance
His head was bloody , thorn-crowned, bowed.
From this place of wrath and tears
He killed the Horror of the shade
So the menace of the years
finds and shall find me unafraid
Narrow it is , and straight the gate
but no punishments are on my scroll
Jesus is Master of my fate,
Christ is Captain of my soul.
5 Comments so far
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Willohroots 
Love it!
Comment by Shawn W February 1, 2009 @ 01:35Meh, I like the poem in of itself. But I dont exactly respect the fact that you’re altering another man’s work to fit your theology.
To each his own…
Comment by trumpethope19 February 1, 2009 @ 01:59TH19 It is like Saturday night live doing a spoof on something, and I did give the guy credit, and even apologized to him! You are rough! And besides all that you started it! I couldn’t find the thing.
Comment by willohroots February 1, 2009 @ 08:07anyway your question was why i no longer believe in or use the poem as my motto, now you know!
Shalom
haha. I know. I’m just giving you crap. Don’t be offended!!
Anyways…here I am writing something as you requested via email.
Comment by trumpethope19 February 1, 2009 @ 11:53[…] I’ve come across some responses to the poem (I admit, I google my own blogs!), including vincens ut vinceret by Will Hapeman. I quite like it. It took largely the same tack as mine, swapping words and phrases, and ended up […]
Pingback by vincens ut vinceret (a reponse to Henley’s Invictus) | Selah. September 26, 2012 @ 23:32