 | Scenes from Scripture with Other Poems |  |
64
A DIRGE.
“I will ransom them from the power of the Grave. I will redeem them
from Death. O Death! I will be thy plague. O Grave! I will be thy
destruction.”—
Hosea xiv, 14.
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
Here the evil and the just,
Here the youthful and the old,
Here the fearful and the bold;
Here the matron and the maid
In one silent bed are laid;
Here the warrior and the king,
Side by side, lie withering:
Glory, but a broken bust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
Age on age shall roll along
O'er this pale and mighty throng;
Those that wept them, those that weep,
All shall with the sleepers sleep;
Prince and peasant, lord and slave,
Moving onward, wave on wave,
Till they reach the sullen shore,
Where their murmurings are o'er.
Here the spade, and sceptre, rust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
Here the evil and the just,
Here the youthful and the old,
Here the fearful and the bold;
Here the matron and the maid
In one silent bed are laid;
Here the warrior and the king,
Side by side, lie withering:
Glory, but a broken bust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
65
O'er this pale and mighty throng;
Those that wept them, those that weep,
All shall with the sleepers sleep;
Prince and peasant, lord and slave,
Moving onward, wave on wave,
Till they reach the sullen shore,
Where their murmurings are o'er.
Here the spade, and sceptre, rust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
But, a day is coming fast,
Earth, thy mightiest and thy last—
All shall see the Judgment-Sign,
On the clouds the Cross shall shine;
Angel-myriads on the wing;
Earth upgazing on its King;
Heaven revealed to mortal sight,
Earth enshrined in living light;
Kingdom of the ransomed Just!
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
Then shall dawn immortal day;
Death and Sin no more have sway;
Then shall in the Desert rise
Fruits of more than Paradise;
Earth by angel feet be trod,
One great Garden of her God.
Earth no more the vale of tears,
Satan chained a thousand years.
Now in hope of Him we trust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
Earth, thy mightiest and thy last—
All shall see the Judgment-Sign,
On the clouds the Cross shall shine;
Angel-myriads on the wing;
Earth upgazing on its King;
Heaven revealed to mortal sight,
Earth enshrined in living light;
Kingdom of the ransomed Just!
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
66
Death and Sin no more have sway;
Then shall in the Desert rise
Fruits of more than Paradise;
Earth by angel feet be trod,
One great Garden of her God.
Earth no more the vale of tears,
Satan chained a thousand years.
Now in hope of Him we trust:
“Earth to earth, and dust to dust!”
| Scenes from Scripture with Other Poems | |