 | 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition |  |
“MEN MUST WORK.”
God, who made the muscle taut and knotted
On the sinewy arm,
Straight as rifle, ready, double-shotted,
With its athlete charm;
Built the shoulders broad and stiff, reliant,
Danger deeming play,
Fair and square, confronting all, defiant,
Holding worlds at bay;
Moulded deep the chest, with ribs of iron
Cased the supple form,
Stout, though devils should its walls environ,
Yet against the storm;
Wrought the columned back to carry burden
Even up Sinai's mount,
So to win through fire the priceless guerdon
Of the heavenly fount;
Carved as buttresses the legs, sustaining
All that glory, still
True to speed it, and without complaining
Tools of lightning will;—
God, who fashioned thus the man, and thunder
Harnessed for his spoil,
Bade him, cleaving rocks and seas asunder,
Toil.
On the sinewy arm,
Straight as rifle, ready, double-shotted,
With its athlete charm;
Built the shoulders broad and stiff, reliant,
Danger deeming play,
Fair and square, confronting all, defiant,
Holding worlds at bay;
411
Cased the supple form,
Stout, though devils should its walls environ,
Yet against the storm;
Wrought the columned back to carry burden
Even up Sinai's mount,
So to win through fire the priceless guerdon
Of the heavenly fount;
Carved as buttresses the legs, sustaining
All that glory, still
True to speed it, and without complaining
Tools of lightning will;—
God, who fashioned thus the man, and thunder
Harnessed for his spoil,
Bade him, cleaving rocks and seas asunder,
Toil.
God, who made the woman fair and tender,
Sweet with amorous might,
Poured into her eyes the spell and splendour
Of a Southern night;
Breathed the breath of violets enticing
In her curling lips,
All the dew of roses' soft sufficing,
Sunset's red eclipse;
Shaped of frost and flame, the eve and morning,
Beautiful her face,
Blent into the delicate adorning
Of one conquering grace;
Gave her breast of snow from summits maiden,
Heart of burning fire,
Sending on and up with blessings laden
Infinite desire;
Crowned the man with kingly strength for labour,
Whether mine or mill,
Armed with pick or saw, or peaceful sabre
Science girds on skill;
Bade him, not forgetting Earth, his mother,
Drawn from lowly soil,
While in heaven be found of God a brother,
Toil.
Sweet with amorous might,
Poured into her eyes the spell and splendour
Of a Southern night;
Breathed the breath of violets enticing
In her curling lips,
All the dew of roses' soft sufficing,
Sunset's red eclipse;
Shaped of frost and flame, the eve and morning,
Beautiful her face,
Blent into the delicate adorning
Of one conquering grace;
Gave her breast of snow from summits maiden,
Heart of burning fire,
Sending on and up with blessings laden
Infinite desire;
Crowned the man with kingly strength for labour,
Whether mine or mill,
Armed with pick or saw, or peaceful sabre
Science girds on skill;
Bade him, not forgetting Earth, his mother,
Drawn from lowly soil,
While in heaven be found of God a brother,
Toil.
God, who set for man no sort of tether,
Save a boundless love,
Mating him and woman close together,
Thus to climb above;
Thus inspired with the same sacred leaven,
The same simple trust
One to journey to their kindred Heaven,
From their common dust;
Lent to him the triumph gained by wrestling
With dark giant fears,
And to her in prayerful corners nestling,
Victory of tears;
But to Man assigned the sterner portion,
None but cowards slight,
In the teeth of hate and hell's distortion,
Thankfully to fight;
Awful odds to face, and wring from Nature
Her long-hoarded Truth,
Thereby lifted to the Godlike stature
Of immortal youth;
Bade him, shielded with fair Woman's kisses,
Where the breakers boil,
Or where fiercer metal molten hisses,
Toil.
Save a boundless love,
Mating him and woman close together,
Thus to climb above;
Thus inspired with the same sacred leaven,
The same simple trust
One to journey to their kindred Heaven,
From their common dust;
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With dark giant fears,
And to her in prayerful corners nestling,
Victory of tears;
But to Man assigned the sterner portion,
None but cowards slight,
In the teeth of hate and hell's distortion,
Thankfully to fight;
Awful odds to face, and wring from Nature
Her long-hoarded Truth,
Thereby lifted to the Godlike stature
Of immortal youth;
Bade him, shielded with fair Woman's kisses,
Where the breakers boil,
Or where fiercer metal molten hisses,
Toil.
God, who deals His creatures nought for nothing,
Hides His wondrous ways,
Braces us to find the food and clothing,
After many days;
Who reveals to student or to lover,
Striving for the stars,
Nought that they by seeking can discover,
If through royal scars;
Willed that Man, by evermore pursuing
Sustenance of need,
Should attain the innermost imbuing
Of the heavenliest creed;—
Fortified by ordeal of provision
In the daily strife,
Should put on the raiment of decision
Magnifying life—
Should put off the lazy rust, that creeping
Eats into the soul,
Robs him of his birthright, in the sleeping
Of Divine controul;—
Bade him, though around the blackest peril
Knit its serpent coil,
And the desert mocked with menace sterile,
Toil.
Hides His wondrous ways,
Braces us to find the food and clothing,
After many days;
Who reveals to student or to lover,
Striving for the stars,
Nought that they by seeking can discover,
If through royal scars;
Willed that Man, by evermore pursuing
Sustenance of need,
Should attain the innermost imbuing
Of the heavenliest creed;—
Fortified by ordeal of provision
In the daily strife,
Should put on the raiment of decision
Magnifying life—
Should put off the lazy rust, that creeping
Eats into the soul,
Robs him of his birthright, in the sleeping
Of Divine controul;—
Bade him, though around the blackest peril
Knit its serpent coil,
And the desert mocked with menace sterile,
Toil.
Man, who feareth God, and in the wonder
Of a watchful awe,
Reads the message of His thought in thunder
Flashing out His law;
Finds in service of the thews and struggle
With the hourly task,
Solemn suns above the lights that juggle
Mind with glittering mask;
Reaps the harvest of the hands, whose strivings
Strenuous on way
Stony, to the last supreme arrivings,
Joined to reverence, pray;
Frames of work a worship, by salvation
Of the body's health,
And in joy of muscle's consecration
Spiritual wealth;
Gathers in the grand discharge of duties
Small, that round him lie,
Out of daily drudging, crown of beauties
That can nowise die;
Man, who in his labour helps to cherish
Lamp of sacred oil,
Must for ever, if that should not perish,
Toil.
Of a watchful awe,
Reads the message of His thought in thunder
Flashing out His law;
Finds in service of the thews and struggle
With the hourly task,
Solemn suns above the lights that juggle
Mind with glittering mask;
413
Strenuous on way
Stony, to the last supreme arrivings,
Joined to reverence, pray;
Frames of work a worship, by salvation
Of the body's health,
And in joy of muscle's consecration
Spiritual wealth;
Gathers in the grand discharge of duties
Small, that round him lie,
Out of daily drudging, crown of beauties
That can nowise die;
Man, who in his labour helps to cherish
Lamp of sacred oil,
Must for ever, if that should not perish,
Toil.
Man, who loves and venerates the woman,
In his household shrine,
Seeing in that temple sweetly human
Door of the Divine;
Cares to girdle her about with honour,
Like a holy flame,
As if each were the one pure Madonna
Of the Blessèd Name;
Gleans in trudging of the feet, and straining
Arms that fashion things
Common to a richer use, through paining,
Glimpse of angel wings;
Hails the tops of Truth, afar no longer,
Fair white virgin peaks,
In the hurly-burly that makes stronger
Man, who God-like speaks;
Glories, that he needs in life's appointing,
Carry bitter cross,
Sweetness turned by maiden's love anointing,
Shed on every loss;
Man, who heeds no winds nor weather cruel,
In the miry moil,
Knows the one inestimable jewel,
Toil.
In his household shrine,
Seeing in that temple sweetly human
Door of the Divine;
Cares to girdle her about with honour,
Like a holy flame,
As if each were the one pure Madonna
Of the Blessèd Name;
Gleans in trudging of the feet, and straining
Arms that fashion things
Common to a richer use, through paining,
Glimpse of angel wings;
Hails the tops of Truth, afar no longer,
Fair white virgin peaks,
In the hurly-burly that makes stronger
Man, who God-like speaks;
Glories, that he needs in life's appointing,
Carry bitter cross,
Sweetness turned by maiden's love anointing,
Shed on every loss;
Man, who heeds no winds nor weather cruel,
In the miry moil,
Knows the one inestimable jewel,
Toil.
Man, who hears the children's pleading voices,
Out of empty night,
Dauntless in bread-winning strength rejoices,
Ready for the fight;
He delights to bear the brunt of danger,
Nature's fiercest mood,
Compassing the seas and lands, a ranger
For his nestlings' food;
He exults in want and woe, and pleasure
Plucks of sharpest pangs,
If for them he may but heap up treasure
Forced from lions' fangs;
He pursues his path through deserts dreary,
Suffers hunger first,
Faint and fainter, worn and yet unweary,
Lest his darlings thirst;
He bestows on them his every blossom,
Clasps himself the thorn
Stabbing to the very heart, through bosom
Gloriously torn;
Man, who bleeds to hush the children's crying,
Fate itself would foil,
Loves, although it rounded be by dying,
Toil.
Out of empty night,
Dauntless in bread-winning strength rejoices,
Ready for the fight;
He delights to bear the brunt of danger,
Nature's fiercest mood,
Compassing the seas and lands, a ranger
For his nestlings' food;
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Plucks of sharpest pangs,
If for them he may but heap up treasure
Forced from lions' fangs;
He pursues his path through deserts dreary,
Suffers hunger first,
Faint and fainter, worn and yet unweary,
Lest his darlings thirst;
He bestows on them his every blossom,
Clasps himself the thorn
Stabbing to the very heart, through bosom
Gloriously torn;
Man, who bleeds to hush the children's crying,
Fate itself would foil,
Loves, although it rounded be by dying,
Toil.
Man, who doth respect himself, and others,
Labour cannot shirk,
Contemplating God and beasts his brothers,
Banded all in work;
Marking ever, with the One Divinity
Still inspiring each,
Every creature aiming towards infinity,
Higher yet to reach;
Must himself do something for the ages,
Add unto their store,—
If but leave two blades of grass, on stages
Where one grew before;
Must abate a little of the sorrow
Darkening earthly skies,
Though he may not see a brighter morrow
Laugh in human eyes;
Must build up, somehow, for happier nations
Broader bridge of trust,
If himself with the obscure foundations
Buried in the dust;
Man, the worker, sceptred servant, scorning
Idler's leprous soil,
Clothes him in that most divine adorning,
Toil.
Labour cannot shirk,
Contemplating God and beasts his brothers,
Banded all in work;
Marking ever, with the One Divinity
Still inspiring each,
Every creature aiming towards infinity,
Higher yet to reach;
Must himself do something for the ages,
Add unto their store,—
If but leave two blades of grass, on stages
Where one grew before;
Must abate a little of the sorrow
Darkening earthly skies,
Though he may not see a brighter morrow
Laugh in human eyes;
Must build up, somehow, for happier nations
Broader bridge of trust,
If himself with the obscure foundations
Buried in the dust;
Man, the worker, sceptred servant, scorning
Idler's leprous soil,
Clothes him in that most divine adorning,
Toil.
| 'Twixt Kiss and Lip or Under the Sword. By the author of "Women Must Weep," [i.e. F. W. O. Ward] Third edition | |