 | Last poems including Afterglow and Beyond the sunset |  |
14
THE MORNING STARS
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the Sons of God shouted for joy.
—Job 38:7.
And all the Sons of God shouted for joy.
—Job 38:7.
Darkness and chaos and the formless void:
Till God commanded, “Let there now be light!”
O Morning Stars, with glory overladen
Your choiring voices reached the farthest Night!
Till God commanded, “Let there now be light!”
O Morning Stars, with glory overladen
Your choiring voices reached the farthest Night!
Ye were so young then, and the earth was young:
Now both are old, yet memory is long.
What grand star-angel led your mighty chorus?
Who struck the first notes of that deathless song?
Now both are old, yet memory is long.
What grand star-angel led your mighty chorus?
Who struck the first notes of that deathless song?
Did great Orion, kingliest of ye all,
Lead his proud cohorts up the Milky Way,
Past blazing Mazzaroth and white Antares,
And where in shadowy vales the Pleiads stray?
Lead his proud cohorts up the Milky Way,
Past blazing Mazzaroth and white Antares,
And where in shadowy vales the Pleiads stray?
15
When Lyra's harp poured forth celestial strains,
With sudden joy did red Arcturus flame,
While Aldebaran and Auriga chanted
The glorious anthem that no tongue can name?
With sudden joy did red Arcturus flame,
While Aldebaran and Auriga chanted
The glorious anthem that no tongue can name?
The Sons of God!—O speak, ye Morning Stars!
Why shouted they for joy ere Man was made?
For then as now Jehovah kept his secrets;
No hoary prophet his high trust betrayed.
Why shouted they for joy ere Man was made?
For then as now Jehovah kept his secrets;
No hoary prophet his high trust betrayed.
Perchance they dreamed, and dreaming eyes see far;
The vision splendid knows nor time nor place;
It sees the invisible, all things beholding,
And hears deep voices from unfathomed space.
The vision splendid knows nor time nor place;
It sees the invisible, all things beholding,
And hears deep voices from unfathomed space.
Perchance even then across their fields of light
Æons on æons passed in long array,
And they by strange foreknowledge pre-awakened,
Saw the on-coming of a far-off day,—
Æons on æons passed in long array,
And they by strange foreknowledge pre-awakened,
Saw the on-coming of a far-off day,—
When Man, the yet unborn, would surely reign
After long stress of labor and despair,
Lord of the green-clad earth and mighty ocean,
And all the unconquered forces of the air;
After long stress of labor and despair,
16
And all the unconquered forces of the air;
Knew strife would come, anguish and bitter woe;
Knew blood of warring hordes would drench the soil;
Heard in dark dreams the wailing of Earth's children
Driven, half-wakened, to unchildlike toil;
Knew blood of warring hordes would drench the soil;
Heard in dark dreams the wailing of Earth's children
Driven, half-wakened, to unchildlike toil;
Yet knew God's will must have its destined way,
Love conquer Sin, pale Sorrow lift its head,
Dear earth grow fair as heaven, and Man, triumphant,
Gain the far heights where angels fear to tread!
Love conquer Sin, pale Sorrow lift its head,
Dear earth grow fair as heaven, and Man, triumphant,
Gain the far heights where angels fear to tread!
For this, O Morning Stars, ye sang together;
For this ye shouted, all ye Sons of God!
For this ye shouted, all ye Sons of God!
March, 1912.
| Last poems including Afterglow and Beyond the sunset | |