 | The Poetical Works of Frances Ridley Havergal |  |
177
IX. Songs.
179
‘Bells across the Snow.’
O Christmas, merry Christmas!
Is it really come again?
With its memories and greetings,
With its joy and with its pain.
There's a minor in the carol,
And a shadow in the light,
And a spray of cypress twining
With the holly wreath to-night.
And the hush is never broken
By laughter light and low,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
Is it really come again?
With its memories and greetings,
With its joy and with its pain.
There's a minor in the carol,
And a shadow in the light,
And a spray of cypress twining
With the holly wreath to-night.
And the hush is never broken
By laughter light and low,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
O Christmas, merry Christmas!
'Tis not so very long
Since other voices blended
With the carol and the song!
If we could but hear them singing
As they are singing now,
If we could but see the radiance
Of the crown on each dear brow;
There would be no sigh to smother,
No hidden tear to flow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
'Tis not so very long
Since other voices blended
With the carol and the song!
If we could but hear them singing
As they are singing now,
If we could but see the radiance
Of the crown on each dear brow;
There would be no sigh to smother,
No hidden tear to flow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
180
O Christmas, merry Christmas!
This never more can be;
We cannot bring again the days
Of our unshadowed glee.
But Christmas, happy Christmas,
Sweet herald of goodwill,
With holy songs of glory
Brings holy gladness still.
For peace and hope may brighten,
And patient love may glow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
This never more can be;
We cannot bring again the days
Of our unshadowed glee.
But Christmas, happy Christmas,
Sweet herald of goodwill,
With holy songs of glory
Brings holy gladness still.
For peace and hope may brighten,
And patient love may glow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the ‘bells across the snow.’
Singing at Sunset.
Did you hear it at the sunset?
Happy, happy thrush!
Carolling and trilling
Through the evening hush.
Singing at the sunset,
Singing, singing sweet,
Where the shadows and the splendour
Softly, softly meet;
Pouring out the full notes,
Ringing, ringing loud,
When the gold is on the beeches,
And the crimson on the cloud!
Singing at the sunset!
Happy, happy song!
Happy, happy thrush!
Carolling and trilling
Through the evening hush.
Singing at the sunset,
Singing, singing sweet,
Where the shadows and the splendour
Softly, softly meet;
Pouring out the full notes,
Ringing, ringing loud,
When the gold is on the beeches,
And the crimson on the cloud!
Singing at the sunset!
Happy, happy song!
Shall we listen in the sunset,
Listen, listen long,
Silent for the glory,
Silent for the song?
Singing at the sunset,
Angel voices hear,
And the harpings of the harpers
Ringing, ringing clear;
Nearing all the gladness,
Leaving all the gloom,
When the light is on the River,
And the glory on the tomb!
Singing at the sunset!
Happy, happy song!
Listen, listen long,
181
Silent for the song?
Singing at the sunset,
Angel voices hear,
And the harpings of the harpers
Ringing, ringing clear;
Nearing all the gladness,
Leaving all the gloom,
When the light is on the River,
And the glory on the tomb!
Singing at the sunset!
Happy, happy song!
Heather Lintie.
I.
‘Heather Lintie, tell me, pray
Why the Snow-wreath went away?
Why the Snow-wreath went away?
‘Silent Snow-wreath sat alone,
Till she heard the laughing call
Of the merriest stream of all
In the land.
Down the steep from stone to stone,
Shyly creeping, smiling, weeping,
While a sunbeam held her hand,
Snow-wreath found her home ere long,
Silence melted into song.
Now she flows, but not alone,
Singing and rejoicing.’
Till she heard the laughing call
Of the merriest stream of all
In the land.
Down the steep from stone to stone,
Shyly creeping, smiling, weeping,
While a sunbeam held her hand,
Snow-wreath found her home ere long,
Silence melted into song.
Now she flows, but not alone,
Singing and rejoicing.’
182
II.
‘Heather Lintie, tell me, pray,
Why the Burnie went away?’
Why the Burnie went away?’
‘Burnie laughed adown the hill,
Keeping all the flowers awake,
Till she saw the purple lake
Deep and still.
Down the glen from stone to stone,
Blithely dancing, glinting, glancing,
Singing on in silver tone,
Burnie found her home ere long,
Silence sweeter far than song;
Now she flows, but not alone,
Resting and rejoicing.’
Keeping all the flowers awake,
Till she saw the purple lake
Deep and still.
Down the glen from stone to stone,
Blithely dancing, glinting, glancing,
Singing on in silver tone,
Burnie found her home ere long,
Silence sweeter far than song;
Now she flows, but not alone,
Resting and rejoicing.’
III.
‘Heather Lintie, tell me, pray,
Why you do not fly away?’
Why you do not fly away?’
Heather Lintie plumed her wing,
Sang about a happy nest,
Made with one who loved her best
In the spring.
Where beneath a boulder-stone,
In the heather all together,
Warmly nestle all her own.
Heather Lintie will not roam
From her sweet and hidden home.
So she sings, but not alone,
Loving and rejoicing.
Sang about a happy nest,
Made with one who loved her best
In the spring.
Where beneath a boulder-stone,
In the heather all together,
Warmly nestle all her own.
Heather Lintie will not roam
From her sweet and hidden home.
So she sings, but not alone,
Loving and rejoicing.
183
Sunbeam and Dewdrop.
O sunbeam, O sunbeam!
I would be a sunbeam too!
When the winter chill
Hushes lark and rill;
When the thunder-showers
Bow the weeping flowers;
When the shadows creep,
Cold, and dark, and deep,—
We would follow, swift and bright,
Blending all our love and light,
Chasing winter, grim and hoary,
Shining all the tears away—
Turning all the gloom to glory,
All the darkness into day.
I would be a sunbeam too!
When the winter chill
Hushes lark and rill;
When the thunder-showers
Bow the weeping flowers;
When the shadows creep,
Cold, and dark, and deep,—
We would follow, swift and bright,
Blending all our love and light,
Chasing winter, grim and hoary,
Shining all the tears away—
Turning all the gloom to glory,
All the darkness into day.
O dewdrop, O dewdrop,
I would be a dewdrop too!
When the fatal glow,
Sultry, still and slow,
Makes the scentless flowers
Droop in withering bowers,
Leaf and shade and bloom
Touched with early doom,—
We would follow, sweet and bright,
Blending life and love and light:
Making what was parched and dreary,
Glad and lovely, fresh and fair,
Softly cheering what was weary,
Sparkling, starlike, everywhere.
I would be a dewdrop too!
When the fatal glow,
Sultry, still and slow,
Makes the scentless flowers
Droop in withering bowers,
Leaf and shade and bloom
Touched with early doom,—
We would follow, sweet and bright,
Blending life and love and light:
Making what was parched and dreary,
Glad and lovely, fresh and fair,
Softly cheering what was weary,
Sparkling, starlike, everywhere.
184
Dream-Singing.
I dreamt that I was singing,
Singing all for thee:
And still the notes went ringing
Far over land and sea.
Singing all for thee:
And still the notes went ringing
Far over land and sea.
Went ringing till they found thee,
Though so far away,
And, softly floating round thee,
Made music all the day.
Though so far away,
And, softly floating round thee,
Made music all the day.
Made music that could cheer thee,
Full of gentle glee;
Then leaving echoes near thee,
Came back again to me.
Full of gentle glee;
Then leaving echoes near thee,
Came back again to me.
Came back with love and blessing
On their spirit-wings,
With musical expressing
Of sweet and holy things.
On their spirit-wings,
With musical expressing
Of sweet and holy things.
I dreamt that I was singing,
Come again to me!
And all its fairy ringing
No more a dream shall be.
Come again to me!
And all its fairy ringing
No more a dream shall be.
185
She Waits for Me.
‘I wait for thee!’ I said it in the splendour
Of golden moons beneath the lonely palms.
‘I wait for thee!’ An echo, clear and tender,
Fell from the height across the silver calms.
For I had waited long,
And hope was growing weary,
Though faith and love were strong,
And lit the path so dreary,—
Till o'er the coral sea
My love should come to me,
‘I wait for thee.’
Of golden moons beneath the lonely palms.
‘I wait for thee!’ An echo, clear and tender,
Fell from the height across the silver calms.
For I had waited long,
And hope was growing weary,
Though faith and love were strong,
And lit the path so dreary,—
Till o'er the coral sea
My love should come to me,
‘I wait for thee.’
‘I wait for thee!’ I said it in my dreaming,
Then fell a hush beyond the hush of night;
And, fairer far than southern waters gleaming,
A Presence passed in soft celestial light.
Then calm and sweet and clear,
A spirit voice came singing,
Far, far away, yet near,
Like star-bells' crystal ringing.
Oh, well my own heart knew
That voice so clear and true—
‘I wait for thee!’
Then fell a hush beyond the hush of night;
And, fairer far than southern waters gleaming,
A Presence passed in soft celestial light.
Then calm and sweet and clear,
A spirit voice came singing,
Far, far away, yet near,
Like star-bells' crystal ringing.
Oh, well my own heart knew
That voice so clear and true—
‘I wait for thee!’
‘She waits for me!’ I said it in my weeping,
For never more she cometh o'er the sea;
She waits for me! A glorious vigil keeping
Beyond the stars, she waiteth there for me.
And now I wait awhile,
Beneath the palm trees lonely.
And learn once more to smile,
For she hath gladness only.
Beside the Crystal Sea,
Until the shadows flee,
She waits for me.
For never more she cometh o'er the sea;
186
Beyond the stars, she waiteth there for me.
And now I wait awhile,
Beneath the palm trees lonely.
And learn once more to smile,
For she hath gladness only.
Beside the Crystal Sea,
Until the shadows flee,
She waits for me.
| The Poetical Works of Frances Ridley Havergal | |