Come, O thou Traveler unknown

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1.
Come, O thou Traveler unknown, 
whom still I hold, but cannot see! 
My company before is gone, 
and I am left alone with thee. 
With thee all night I mean to stay 
and wrestle till the break of day. 

2.
I need not tell thee who I am, 
my misery and sin declare. 
Thyself has called me by my name, 
look on thy hands and read it there. 
But who, I ask thee, who art thou? 
Tell me thy name, and tell me now. 

3.
In vain thou strugglest to get free; 
I never will unloose my hold. 
Art thou the man that died for me? 
The secret of thy love unfold. 
Wrestling, I will not let thee go 
till I thy name, thy nature know. 

4.
Wilt thou not yet to me reveal 
thy new, unutterable name? 
Tell me, I still beseech thee, tell, 
to know it now resolved I am. 
Wrestling, I will not let thee go 
till I thy name, thy nature know.

5.
'Tis all in vain to hold thy tongue 
or touch the hollow of my thigh. 
Though every sinew is unstrung, 
out of my arms thou shalt not fly. 
Wrestling, I will not let thee go 
till I thy name, thy nature know.

6.
What though my shrinking flesh complain 
and murmur to contend so long, 
I rise superior to my pain; 
when I am weak then I am strong, 
and when my all of strength shall fail 
I shall with the God-man prevail. 

7.
My strength is gone, my nature dies, 
I sink beneath thy weighty hand, 
faint to revive, and fall to rise. 
I fall, and yet by faith I stand, 
I stand and will not let thee go 
till I thy name, thy nature know.

8.
Yield to me now -- for I am weak 
but confident in self-despair! 
Speak to my heart, in blessing speak, 
be conquered by my instant prayer. 
Speak, or thou never hence shalt move, 
and tell me if thy name is Love. 

9.
'Tis Love! 'tis Love! thou diedst for me, 
I hear thy whisper in my heart.
The morning breaks, the shadows flee, 
pure Universal Love thou art. 
To me, to all, thy mercies move -- 
thy nature, and thy name is Love! 

10.
My prayer hath power with God; the grace 
Unspeakable I now receive! 
Through faith I see thee face to face, 
I see thee face to face, and live! 
In vain I have not wept and strove -- 
thy nature, and thy name is Love. 

11.
I know thee, Savior, who thou art, 
Jesus, the feeble sinner's friend; 
nor wilt thou with the night depart, 
but stay and love me to the end. 
Thy mercies never shall remove -- 
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

stanzas 12-14 not included in hymnal

12.
The Sun of righteousness on me 
Hath risen with healing in his wings. 
Withered my nature's strength, from thee 
my soul its life and succor brings. 
My help is all laid up above -- 
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

13.
Contented now upon my thigh 
I halt, till life's short journey end. 
All helplessness, all weakness I 
on thee alone for strength depend, 
nor have I power from thee to move. 
Thy nature, and thy name is Love!

14.
Lame as I am, I take the prey, 
hell, earth, and sin with ease overcome.
I leap for joy, pursue my way, 
and as a bounding hart fly home, 
through all eternity to prove 
thy nature, and thy name is Love.

Words:  based on Genesis 32:24-32, Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742
   Tune:  American folk melody, Christian Harmony, 1805

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