Blessed Be Figures in Rows (Corporate Canon II)

[Intro] [violin alone Long held notes Simple three-note motif Cello entering on final phrase] [Verse 1] In ledger bound with braided twine We trace the tale of coin and tithe Each humble mark Each measured line Guards trust that keeps our days alive [Verse 2] We weigh the grain We count the stone We seal the word our voices gave For promise stands not flesh alone But ink that outlives dust and grave [Chorus] Blessed be figures in rows May all be reconciled Blessed be the hand that signs Blessed be reports timely filed [Verse 3] When memory fades and tongues forget The page remembers what was owed Through winter’s want and autumn’s debt These quiet numbers bear the load [Verse 4] So let us write with careful fear And lay our seal with even mind That those who come in later years Find proof that we were just and kind [Chorus] Blessed be figures in rows May all be reconciled Blessed be the hand that signs Blessed be reports timely filed