King Alfred's Poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

If now thou art willing the Lord of the world
His highness and greatness clearsighted to see,
Behold the huge host of the heavens unfurl'd
How calmly at peace with each other they be!

At the first forming the Glorified Prince
Order'd it so that the sun should not turn
Nigh to the bounds of the moon ever since
Nor the cold path of the snowcircle burn.

Nay, the high stars never cross on the skies
Ere that another has hurried away;
Nor to the westward will ever uprise
Ursa the star,—so witting men say.

113

All of the stars set after the sun
Under the ground of the earth with the sky:
That is no wonder; for only this one,
The axle, stands fastly and firmly on high.

Again, there's a star more bright than them all,
He comes from the east, before the sun's birth,
The star of the morning,—thus him ever call
Under the heavens the children of earth.

For that he bodes day's-dawn to men's homes
After him bringing the sun in his train,
Fair from the east this forerunner comes
And glides to the west all shining again.

People rename him at night in the west
Star of the evening then is he hight,
And when the setting sun goes to her rest,
He races her down more swift than the light.

Still he outruns her, until he appears
Again in the east, forerunning the sun,
A glorious star, that equally clears
The day and the night, ere his racing be run.

Thro' the Lord's power, the sun and the moon
Rule as at first by the Father's decree;
And think not thou these bright shiners will soon
Weary of serfdom till domesday shall be:

114

Then shall the Maker of man at his will
Do with them all that is right by and bye:
Meanwhile the Good and Almighty one still
Setteth not both on one half of the sky,

Lest they should other brave beings unmake;
But, evergood, He still suffers it not;
Somewhiles the dry with the water will slake,
Somewhiles will mingle the cold with the hot.

Yea, by His skill, otherwhiles will upsoar
Into the sky fire airily-form'd,
Leaving behind it the cold heavy ore
Which by the Holy One's might it had warm'd.

By the King's bidding it cometh each year
Earth in the summertime bringeth forth fruit,
Ripens and dries for the soildwellers here
The seed, and the sheaf, and the blade, and the root.

Afterward rain cometh, hailing and snow,
Wintertide weather that wetteth the world,
Hence the earth quickens the seeds that they grow
And in the lententide leaves are uncurl'd.

So the Mild Maker for children of men
Feeds in the earth each fruit to increase,
Wielder of heaven! he brings it forth then;
Nourishing God!—or makes it to cease.

115

He, Highest Good, sits on his high seat
Self king of all, and reins evermore
This his wide handiwork, made (as is meet)
His thane and his theow to serve and adore.

That is no wonder, for he is The King,
Lord God of hosts, each living soul's awe,
The source and the spring of each being and thing
All the world's maker and wisdom and law.

Everything made,—on His errands they go,
None that He sendeth may ever turn back;
Had he not stablished and settled it so
All had been ruin and fallen to rack;

Even to nought would have come at the last:
All that is made would have melted away:
But in both heaven and earth, true and fast,
All have one love such a lord to obey,

And are full fain that their Father should reign;
That is no wonder, for else should each thing
Never have life, if they did not remain
True to their Maker, man's glorious King.