 | Poems |  |
97
DIES ILLA.
An awful light on land and sea,
Not moonlight, neither dawn;
A pallid, livid, growing light,
From central heaven drawn.
Not moonlight, neither dawn;
A pallid, livid, growing light,
From central heaven drawn.
On all the earth it brooded deep;
It filled the arching sky.
From cowering trees and sullen seas
The look of life did fly.
It filled the arching sky.
From cowering trees and sullen seas
The look of life did fly.
A dreadful sound was in mine ears,
A wailing, deep and low—
The travailing and groan of Earth,
Beneath her final woe.
A wailing, deep and low—
The travailing and groan of Earth,
Beneath her final woe.
The air was thrilled with agony,
The breath I breathed was pain.
The life-blood crept and curdled slow
In every shrinking vein.
The breath I breathed was pain.
The life-blood crept and curdled slow
In every shrinking vein.
I felt my flesh forsake my soul,
My soul cast off the clay;
Yet, like some new-unprisoned moth,
Too weak to soar away.
My soul cast off the clay;
Yet, like some new-unprisoned moth,
Too weak to soar away.
98
I knew the day, the Day of God,
The end of mortal fear;
I saw, far off, his awful host
Mid rolling clouds appear.
The end of mortal fear;
I saw, far off, his awful host
Mid rolling clouds appear.
How called and craved my heart of flesh
To see my loved once more!
How all the anguish fled and died
That in that heart I bore!
To see my loved once more!
How all the anguish fled and died
That in that heart I bore!
They gathered fondly to my side,
Their eyes turned sweet on mine;
They clasped me in their arms again
With tenderness divine.
Their eyes turned sweet on mine;
They clasped me in their arms again
With tenderness divine.
The light of God shone far and wide,
It showed us face to face;
We knew not fear nor falling worlds
In that serene embrace.
It showed us face to face;
We knew not fear nor falling worlds
In that serene embrace.
No chilling glance, no scorning word—
The dear old speech once more,
The loving tones so silent long,
The looks that once they wore.
The dear old speech once more,
The loving tones so silent long,
The looks that once they wore.
Alas! what hot and streaming tears
The heavenly vision broke,
As slowly sad to mortal days
My shivering soul awoke.
The heavenly vision broke,
As slowly sad to mortal days
My shivering soul awoke.
99
Come, Day of God, immortal day,
Thou healer of the sad!
There is no terror in thy dawn,
If thus thou makest glad.
Thou healer of the sad!
There is no terror in thy dawn,
If thus thou makest glad.
From shuddering seas and rending skies
No more I shrink and hide;
Thy crash of heaven and wreck of earth
My spirit dare abide.
No more I shrink and hide;
Thy crash of heaven and wreck of earth
My spirit dare abide.
Haste, on thy wings of heavenly peace,
Thou art no Day of Dread;
Dawn of the Lord's unmeasured love,
Restorer of the dead!
Thou art no Day of Dread;
Dawn of the Lord's unmeasured love,
Restorer of the dead!
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