 | Poems : medley and Palestina |  |
129
THE PASTOR
131
The Vision.
In thoughts of the visions of night,
When slumber possessed me,
My spirit was seized with affright
And horrors oppressed me.
When slumber possessed me,
My spirit was seized with affright
And horrors oppressed me.
A phantom appeared to my eyes,
A vapor of error;
I could not discover its guise,
I saw but a terror.
A vapor of error;
I could not discover its guise,
I saw but a terror.
The darkness with silence was shod;
A voice queried lowly:
“Shall mortals be juster than God?
More pure than the Holy?
A voice queried lowly:
“Shall mortals be juster than God?
More pure than the Holy?
“In angels He putteth no trust,
They tremble before Him;
How then may the creatures of dust
Approach to implore Him?
They tremble before Him;
How then may the creatures of dust
Approach to implore Him?
“They vanish from morning to eve,
They perish like stubble;
And none who regardeth will grieve,
Or succor their trouble.
They perish like stubble;
And none who regardeth will grieve,
Or succor their trouble.
132
“Their excellence fadeth to naught,
Their gladness to sorrow;
And even the wisdom they taught
Lasts not till the morrow.”
Their gladness to sorrow;
And even the wisdom they taught
Lasts not till the morrow.”
The Despondent.
My days are swifter than a steed;
They find no joy and flee away,
Like eagles hasting to the prey,
Or galleys winged with stormy speed.
They find no joy and flee away,
Like eagles hasting to the prey,
Or galleys winged with stormy speed.
I would that I had died in birth,
That I had fallen unto death,
Before I learned to love my breath,
Or tasted one delight of earth.
That I had fallen unto death,
Before I learned to love my breath,
Or tasted one delight of earth.
I should have been as one unborn;
I should have flyted to the tomb,
Unheeding of my early doom
As any moth of summer morn.
I should have flyted to the tomb,
Unheeding of my early doom
As any moth of summer morn.
Are not my days a feeble few?
Cease then from troubling! Stand apart,
And let me take some little heart
Before I sink beyond the view;
Cease then from troubling! Stand apart,
And let me take some little heart
Before I sink beyond the view;
Before I go to sombre lands
Where blindness sits; to lands of night,
Where darkness is the only light,
And Sheol lifts obscuring hands.
Where blindness sits; to lands of night,
Where darkness is the only light,
And Sheol lifts obscuring hands.
133
The Human.
His days are few and full of woe:
He springs and burgeons like a flower:
The sickle finds him ere an hour:
He goeth as the shadows go.
He springs and burgeons like a flower:
The sickle finds him ere an hour:
He goeth as the shadows go.
The flower may win a second birth:
But man is dead and vanisheth:
He sighs away his feeble breath,
And who can find him on the earth?
But man is dead and vanisheth:
He sighs away his feeble breath,
And who can find him on the earth?
His children grow to power and fame;
They fall to grievous want and sin:
He sleeps his narrow grave within,
Nor cares for all their grace or shame.
They fall to grievous want and sin:
He sleeps his narrow grave within,
Nor cares for all their grace or shame.
He sinks to rest and will not rise:
The firmament shall pass away;
But still he sleeps in calm decay,
And none can make him lift his eyes.
The firmament shall pass away;
But still he sleeps in calm decay,
And none can make him lift his eyes.
Oh, that thou mightest hide me fast,
Conceal me, fold me safe in gloom,
Yea, draw the curtains of my tomb,
Until thy judgments hasten past!
Conceal me, fold me safe in gloom,
Yea, draw the curtains of my tomb,
Until thy judgments hasten past!
134
The Redeemer.
Have pity on me, O my friends!
A mighty hand hath touched me sore.
Why should ye chasten more and more
A man whose sorrow never ends?
A mighty hand hath touched me sore.
Why should ye chasten more and more
A man whose sorrow never ends?
Ye sit upon the judgment seat;
As gods ye judge and persecute:
And I, shall I be meek and mute,
Like one whose pulse hath ceased to beat?
As gods ye judge and persecute:
And I, shall I be meek and mute,
Like one whose pulse hath ceased to beat?
I would that all my words were writ
On graven rock or lettered page,
That they might last from age to age,
And men might read them every whit.
On graven rock or lettered page,
That they might last from age to age,
And men might read them every whit.
I know that my Redeemer bides;
I know that in the latter days
His feet shall stand in earthly ways
And search the glooms where sorrow hides.
I know that in the latter days
His feet shall stand in earthly ways
And search the glooms where sorrow hides.
Yea, though I sleep beneath the sod,
Though worms destroy this strength and bloom,
Yet I shall part the shrouding tomb,
And see my Savior, see my God;
Though worms destroy this strength and bloom,
Yet I shall part the shrouding tomb,
And see my Savior, see my God;
Shall see him for myself alone,
And not with eyes of other men;
Shall look upon His glory when
He lifts me to His gracious throne.
And not with eyes of other men;
Shall look upon His glory when
He lifts me to His gracious throne.
135
The Fall of the Evil.
The evil grow to wealth and might;
Their kindred prosper in their sight;
Their sons inherit long delight.
Their kindred prosper in their sight;
Their sons inherit long delight.
Their tables groan with costly cheer;
Their hearts are fenced away from fear;
God toucheth not their plenteous gear.
Their hearts are fenced away from fear;
God toucheth not their plenteous gear.
They take the timbrel, pipe and lyre;
Their voices rise in gladsome choir;
The children dance before the sire.
Their voices rise in gladsome choir;
The children dance before the sire.
They say to God, “Depart! away!
We hate thy way and flout thy sway.
What profits us to fast and pray?”
We hate thy way and flout thy sway.
What profits us to fast and pray?”
They love the law of carnal sense;
They spend their days in opulence;
Then eftersoon they vanish hence.
They spend their days in opulence;
Then eftersoon they vanish hence.
They cannot keep their faces hale,
Nor bear their wealth beyond the veil,
But fly like chaff before the gale.
Nor bear their wealth beyond the veil,
But fly like chaff before the gale.
In vain ye seek their dwelling place,
The lofty towers, the halls of grace,
The mansions of the princely race.
The lofty towers, the halls of grace,
The mansions of the princely race.
Long since they vanished from the spot;
Their very glory is forgot;
Men answer back, “We know them not.”
Their very glory is forgot;
Men answer back, “We know them not.”
136
The Divine.
On dizzy altitudes he stands;
Dominions glitter in His hands;
His terrors march in awful bands.
Dominions glitter in His hands;
His terrors march in awful bands.
Who knoweth how to count His hosts?
His mornings shine on all the coasts;
His glances pierce the realm of ghosts.
His mornings shine on all the coasts;
His glances pierce the realm of ghosts.
He looks upon the moon as dim;
In vain the starry oceans brim;
They seem but darkling voids to Him.
In vain the starry oceans brim;
They seem but darkling voids to Him.
How then should man, the child of dust,
Lift Edenward a brow of trust
Or vaunt himself as pure and just?
Lift Edenward a brow of trust
Or vaunt himself as pure and just?
His worth is vile, his strength infirm;
He carries death within the germ;
Behold, he seemeth but a worm.
He carries death within the germ;
Behold, he seemeth but a worm.
| Poems : medley and Palestina | |