 | Egeria, or, The Spirit of Nature and Other Poems |  |
101
THE SEVEN ANGELS OF THE LYRE.
I
Knowest thou not the wondrous lyre?Its strings extend from earth to heaven,
And ever more the angels seven,
With glowing fingers tipped in fire,
Draw from the chords celestial tones,
That peal in harmonies through all the starry zones.
II
An angel with a pensive faceSits at the key-note evermore;
Not sad, as if a pang she bore,
But radiant with supernal grace:—
Her name is Sorrow; when she sings
The wondrous Lyre responds in all its golden strings.
III
The second breathes in harmonies;—A rainbow is her diadem,
And on her breast she wears a gem
That trickled from Contrition's eyes:—
Her name is Sympathy; her tears
Falling upon the Lyre make music in the spheres.
IV
The third is beautiful as she;Unfading flowers her brow adorn,
And from her smile a ray is born
That looks into Eternity:—
102
Belted Orion sings, and all the stars rejoice.
V
The fourth with eyes of earnest ken,Surveys the boundless universe,
While her ecstatic lips rehearse
The promises of God to men:—
Her name is Faith; her mighty chord
Reverberates through space the glories of the Lord.
VI
The fifth is robed in spotless white,And from the beating of her heart,
Such heavenly corruscations start
As clothe the universe with light:—
Her name is Love; when she preludes
The constellations throb in all their multitudes.
VII
The sixth inhales perpetual Morn:Far through the bright Infinitude
She sees beyond the present Good,
The Better destined to be born:—
Her name is Aspiration; ever
She sings the might of Will, the beauty of Endeavour.
VIII
Crown and completion of the sevenRapt Adoration sits alone;
103
It touches Earth—it dwells in heaven.
All life and nature join her hymn;
Man and the rolling worlds and choirs of cherubim.
IX
Know'st thou that lyre? If through thy soulTh' immortal music never ran,
Thou art but outwardly a man;—
Thou art not pure—thou art not whole—
A faculty within thee sleeps
Death-like, ensepultured, in dim, unfathomed deeps.
X
Immortal spirit, hear and soar!The angels wave their golden wings,
And strike the seven celestial strings,
To give thee joy for evermore:—
Mount upward, lark-like from the sod;
And join, thou happy soul, the harmonies of God!
| Egeria, or, The Spirit of Nature and Other Poems | |