 | Complete Poems of Frances E. W. Harper |  |
THE SOUL
Bring forth the balance, let the weight be gold!
We'd know the worth of a deathless soul;
Bring rubies and gems from every mine,
With the wealth of ocean, land and clime.
We'd know the worth of a deathless soul;
Bring rubies and gems from every mine,
With the wealth of ocean, land and clime.
Bring the joys of the green, green earth,
Its playful smiles and careless mirth;
The dews of youth and flushes of health—
Bring! Oh, bring! the wide world's wealth.
Its playful smiles and careless mirth;
The dews of youth and flushes of health—
Bring! Oh, bring! the wide world's wealth.
Bring the rich, rare pearls of thought
From the depths of knowledge brought,
All that human ken may know,
Searching earth and heaven o'er.
From the depths of knowledge brought,
All that human ken may know,
Searching earth and heaven o'er.
Bring the fairest rolls of fame—
Rolls unwritten with a deed of shame;
Honor's guerdon, victory's crown,
Robes of pride, wreaths of renown.
Rolls unwritten with a deed of shame;
Honor's guerdon, victory's crown,
Robes of pride, wreaths of renown.
We've brought the wealth of ev'ry mine,
We've ransacked ocean, land and clime,
And caught the joyous smiles away,
From the prattling babe to the sire gray.
We've ransacked ocean, land and clime,
And caught the joyous smiles away,
From the prattling babe to the sire gray.
We've wrought the names of the noble dead,
With those who in their footsteps tread,
Here are wreaths of pride and gems of thought,
From the battle-field and study brought.
With those who in their footsteps tread,
Here are wreaths of pride and gems of thought,
From the battle-field and study brought.
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Heap high the gems, pile up the gold,
For heavy's the weight of a deathless soul—
Make room for all the wealth of earth,
Its honors, joys, and careless mirth.
For heavy's the weight of a deathless soul—
Make room for all the wealth of earth,
Its honors, joys, and careless mirth.
Leave me a niche for the rolls of fame—
Oh, precious, indeed, is a spotless name,
For the robes, the wreaths, and gems of thought,
Let an empty space in the scales be sought.
Oh, precious, indeed, is a spotless name,
For the robes, the wreaths, and gems of thought,
Let an empty space in the scales be sought.
With care we've adjusted balance and scale,
Futile our efforts we've seen them fail;
Lighter than dust is the wealth of the earth,
Weighted in the scales with immortal worth.
Futile our efforts we've seen them fail;
Lighter than dust is the wealth of the earth,
Weighted in the scales with immortal worth.
Could we drag the sun from his golden car,
To lay in this balance with ev'ry star,
'Twould darken the day and obscure the night—
But the weight of the balance would still be light.
To lay in this balance with ev'ry star,
'Twould darken the day and obscure the night—
But the weight of the balance would still be light.
| Complete Poems of Frances E. W. Harper | |