 | Lays of Leisure Hours |  |
THE CAPTIVE'S SONG.
The Captive wailed, in mournful strain,
And sought to pour his bosom's pain,
From out its burthened stifled core,
In words of sadness evermore.
And sought to pour his bosom's pain,
From out its burthened stifled core,
In words of sadness evermore.
478
The voice of his own bitter grief
Afforded him a faint relief—
Though words may not unfold, at least
They shroud the sufferings of the breast!
Afforded him a faint relief—
Though words may not unfold, at least
They shroud the sufferings of the breast!
And thus he poured his song of woe—
Oft broken by faint sighs and low,
And Pity's self had paused to hear
Ere she had checked a strain so dear.
Oft broken by faint sighs and low,
And Pity's self had paused to hear
Ere she had checked a strain so dear.
If ever Freedom may be mine on this broad Earth again—
A glorious recompense shall be the guerdon of my pain,
For I have learned and deeply too and well to feel and know
How precious Joy and Freedom are while I have wept in woe.
A glorious recompense shall be the guerdon of my pain,
For I have learned and deeply too and well to feel and know
How precious Joy and Freedom are while I have wept in woe.
Of old I gazed all carelessly upon the Earth and Air,
Nor saw the gracious glories and the boundless beauty there,
Though thousand lovely things were round, scarce, scarce I heeded these,
Now could I prize the lightest leaf that trembles to the breeze.
Nor saw the gracious glories and the boundless beauty there,
Though thousand lovely things were round, scarce, scarce I heeded these,
Now could I prize the lightest leaf that trembles to the breeze.
479
The flowers that gild the ground should seem like Stars of Heav'n to me,
And Oh! those Stars divine, say, what then, what should they not be?
Worlds—Worlds of Beauty—where my thought on Angel wings might soar,
And with a holier rapture thrill than ere they did before.
And Oh! those Stars divine, say, what then, what should they not be?
Worlds—Worlds of Beauty—where my thought on Angel wings might soar,
And with a holier rapture thrill than ere they did before.
And wheresoe'er mine eye might rove, my liberated eye,
Or on this beauteous Earth below or in the beaming Sky,
There should my very Soul look forth, and make the scene its own,
And seize unnumbered new delights it ne'er before hath known.
Or on this beauteous Earth below or in the beaming Sky,
There should my very Soul look forth, and make the scene its own,
And seize unnumbered new delights it ne'er before hath known.
The Universe belongs to those who grasp it and who claim,
And if its empire be not ours, ours surely is the blame,
Each Being born into the World receiveth from that hour
The wide World for his appanage, Creation for his dower!
And if its empire be not ours, ours surely is the blame,
Each Being born into the World receiveth from that hour
The wide World for his appanage, Creation for his dower!
480
Since to the conscious eyes that see, and to the ears that hear,
Heaven gives the treasures of the whole, howe'er it may appear,
Not he is blest who saith, “behold! the gold and gems are mine,”
But he who most delighteth still in their resplendent shine!
Heaven gives the treasures of the whole, howe'er it may appear,
Not he is blest who saith, “behold! the gold and gems are mine,”
But he who most delighteth still in their resplendent shine!
Sharp Sorrow and Captivity have well my Spirit taught,
How all this wond'rous World below with wealthiest gifts is fraught,
For me if e'er I break my chain, the Lord of Light and Day
Shall burn in the illumined Sky with a redoubled ray,
How all this wond'rous World below with wealthiest gifts is fraught,
For me if e'er I break my chain, the Lord of Light and Day
Shall burn in the illumined Sky with a redoubled ray,
And monarchs, monarchs shall be poor, the captive freed beside,
For richer than the richest he, who claims Creation wide,
And Creosus were a bankrupt near the master of that mine
Which teemeth with exhaustless stores—o'erflowing Nature—thine!
For richer than the richest he, who claims Creation wide,
And Creosus were a bankrupt near the master of that mine
Which teemeth with exhaustless stores—o'erflowing Nature—thine!
481
Then shall I feel mine own freed eye an empire can command,
Oh! talk not of the Student's lore nor of the Enchanter's wand,
We need but look, and all is light—but ask, and all is ours,
Since Heaven hath given us Senses armed with all-sufficient Powers.
Oh! talk not of the Student's lore nor of the Enchanter's wand,
We need but look, and all is light—but ask, and all is ours,
Since Heaven hath given us Senses armed with all-sufficient Powers.
And thus, poor Captive, may it be indeed
With us, when from our Mortal fetters freed—
We may be taught in this uncertain life,
So dark with sorrow, and so wild with strife,
With deeper ecstacy of bliss to prize
The Freedom and the Glory of the Skies—
Even Heaven may brighten with redoubled light
To these who long have mourned in Earth's dense Night.
With us, when from our Mortal fetters freed—
We may be taught in this uncertain life,
So dark with sorrow, and so wild with strife,
With deeper ecstacy of bliss to prize
The Freedom and the Glory of the Skies—
Even Heaven may brighten with redoubled light
To these who long have mourned in Earth's dense Night.
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