When will be the day I’ll lose my fear of death

When will be the day I’ll lose my fear of death?
It will be when with love of you I burn;
but in contempt I must first hold my life
and must for your sake only feel such scorn.
Then shall I crush beneath my feet those things
that weigh – this heavy burden - on my back;
he who has no dread of the lion’s fierce claws
will laugh off the sting of the tiny wasp.

Lord, I beg that you deaden my senses
and from certain pleasures turn me for good,
not just foul delights that most offend you
but also those which lead to venial sins.
Thus will all my thoughts be only of you,
and I’ll take that road leading where you are.
Only do this, Lord, and if I turn back,
may your ears to me stay deaf for ever.