The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite in two volumes ... With a Portrait |
 |
 |
|
| I. |
WAITING FOR THE MANIFESTATION |
|
| II. |
|
|
|
|
 | The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite |  |
113
WAITING FOR THE MANIFESTATION
I beheld a scarlet pageant—in a dream of night—
Spread wide its banners, blazon'd with devices bright;
Now my waking eyes are tinctured by the sheen and show,
By the glory and the glister and the gorgeous glow.
Spread wide its banners, blazon'd with devices bright;
Now my waking eyes are tinctured by the sheen and show,
By the glory and the glister and the gorgeous glow.
Hence I hold this truth unquestion'd: from its sources deep
Comes something into waking out of worlds of sleep,
And like a golden lamp at night held up in garden closes,
Abounding wealth of magic at our gate exposes.
Comes something into waking out of worlds of sleep,
And like a golden lamp at night held up in garden closes,
Abounding wealth of magic at our gate exposes.
Now because you are a dreamer I may hint to you
That the world of common eyesight as a veil is true,
And by certain tinctures vested in a light divine,
Is sometimes lifted suddenly to type and sign.
That the world of common eyesight as a veil is true,
And by certain tinctures vested in a light divine,
Is sometimes lifted suddenly to type and sign.
We see that there are sacraments, and grace has means
Incalculable, even in the humblest scenes,
But the richest and the fullest in the mystic plan
Is the sacramental mystery of man to man.
Incalculable, even in the humblest scenes,
But the richest and the fullest in the mystic plan
Is the sacramental mystery of man to man.
For no man knows another, each is sign to each
Of a labyrinthine nature out of sight and reach;
By the texture and the outline of the veil alone
Do we gather hint and presage of its form unknown:
Of a labyrinthine nature out of sight and reach;
By the texture and the outline of the veil alone
Do we gather hint and presage of its form unknown:
The sign of strength and symmetry, the sign of grace,
The sign of sainthood lighting an unearthly face,
And, pregnant with its message from the world within,
The fever and the scarlet of the sign of sin.
The sign of sainthood lighting an unearthly face,
And, pregnant with its message from the world within,
The fever and the scarlet of the sign of sin.
114
But further out of knowledge, say, in far-off eyes,
Want of virgin lips unconscious or lost children's cries,
The sign that, past all signs, remote as white spume out at sea,
The vision is which ever was and ever yet will be.
Want of virgin lips unconscious or lost children's cries,
The sign that, past all signs, remote as white spume out at sea,
The vision is which ever was and ever yet will be.
Now this, I think, received into the heart of heart,
Would life of life to mere day's length of shadow-life impart;
Such sacramental flowers unfold in fair soul-gardens then
As Carmel and Assisi never gave to men.
Would life of life to mere day's length of shadow-life impart;
Such sacramental flowers unfold in fair soul-gardens then
As Carmel and Assisi never gave to men.
But, symbols to each other, to ourselves we are
A light reflected only, not itself the star:
Ah, therefore shine within us, thou sad moon of mind,
To the day-star and the noon-tide and the goal assign'd!
A light reflected only, not itself the star:
Ah, therefore shine within us, thou sad moon of mind,
To the day-star and the noon-tide and the goal assign'd!
Till the great time of awaking from the things which seem
Unto pageantry and splendour which are more than dream;
Till the light of further knowledge of ourselves and all
The lords behind the portal in the Father's hall!
Unto pageantry and splendour which are more than dream;
Till the light of further knowledge of ourselves and all
The lords behind the portal in the Father's hall!
O, hold we all our sacraments till that great day
As consecrated altar-lights which shine alway,
And on the sign where God Divine may dwell, of man unseen,
Let saving dread forbid the print of any mouth unclean!
As consecrated altar-lights which shine alway,
And on the sign where God Divine may dwell, of man unseen,
Let saving dread forbid the print of any mouth unclean!
I have dwelt among the tokens, and in types expound
Some fragments of the secrets which our ways surround,
And that you can interpret, as the veils allow,
The bright dream-tincture tells me on your lips and brow.
Some fragments of the secrets which our ways surround,
And that you can interpret, as the veils allow,
The bright dream-tincture tells me on your lips and brow.
| The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite | |