 | Lays of Leisure Hours |  |
217
TO THE STARS.
High and haughty and Monarchic Mysteries!—
Crowned with Grandeurs of a God-given Strength!—
Oh!—could Man but read your Heavenly Histories
Thus, might Man true Wisdom learn at length!
Crowned with Grandeurs of a God-given Strength!—
Oh!—could Man but read your Heavenly Histories
Thus, might Man true Wisdom learn at length!
Glorious Stars! how proudly ye invite me
Forth to wander, free from gloom and care,
With your smile in the opening Heavens to light me
While the world seems Shadows all, and Air!
Forth to wander, free from gloom and care,
With your smile in the opening Heavens to light me
While the world seems Shadows all, and Air!
But, ye Stars!—too much do ye sublimely
Speak of other Realms—august and bright,
While with sighs prophetic and untimely
My sad heart disturbs the lull of Night!
Speak of other Realms—august and bright,
While with sighs prophetic and untimely
My sad heart disturbs the lull of Night!
218
Proud, and glorious, and triumphant Wonders!—
What have ye with mortal things to do?—
Yet, with tones more deep than rolling thunders,
Speak your Tongues of Light—that pierce us through!
What have ye with mortal things to do?—
Yet, with tones more deep than rolling thunders,
Speak your Tongues of Light—that pierce us through!
Dread, mysterious, and illustrious Strangers!—
Scarce can I endure your stately show,
Even the view of your proud pomp endangers
My quick Soul's unstable peace below!
Scarce can I endure your stately show,
Even the view of your proud pomp endangers
My quick Soul's unstable peace below!
Great, and wonderous, and victorious Splendours!—
One by one ye shine, to sway that Soul—
Till, o'erpowered and vanquished, it surrenders
All its Thoughts to your profound controul!
One by one ye shine, to sway that Soul—
Till, o'erpowered and vanquished, it surrenders
All its Thoughts to your profound controul!
But, those Thoughts are by your aspect troubled,
Ever far too prompt are they to aspire!—
Then they quickening spring with strength redoubled—
Stirred and smitten by your looks of fire!
Ever far too prompt are they to aspire!—
Then they quickening spring with strength redoubled—
Stirred and smitten by your looks of fire!
219
Mighty Visitors!—high-throned—far-beaming!—
What have they in common with our Earth?
Each—in his own conquering glory seeming
In himself—still Heaven's own Heavenliest Birth!
What have they in common with our Earth?
Each—in his own conquering glory seeming
In himself—still Heaven's own Heavenliest Birth!
Glorious Stars!—when first that chain is broken,
That dark chain which binds me to the World,
Then, shine forth—then be each ray a token,
Each rich beam a banner-scroll unfurled!—
That dark chain which binds me to the World,
Then, shine forth—then be each ray a token,
Each rich beam a banner-scroll unfurled!—
Telling all of Victory and of gladness,
Lifting from my Thoughts all memories vain
Of mine ancient Earth-engendered sadness,
Of the anguish of my mortal pain.
Lifting from my Thoughts all memories vain
Of mine ancient Earth-engendered sadness,
Of the anguish of my mortal pain.
Yea!—Oh! Stars!—even then—even then invite me,
Then—then, woo me to your flaming path—
Crown me, raise me, cheer me, then, and light me
When mine eyes close on this World of Death!
Then—then, woo me to your flaming path—
Crown me, raise me, cheer me, then, and light me
When mine eyes close on this World of Death!
220
But, now—now—while I dejected wander,
'Tis but grief to gaze on your proud show,
Oh! 'tis misery to gaze yearning yonder,
Bound and fettered to this Earth below!
'Tis but grief to gaze on your proud show,
Oh! 'tis misery to gaze yearning yonder,
Bound and fettered to this Earth below!
Glorious Stars!—I shrink thus from your presence,
Too disturbing to my fervent Soul—
Till the time its disembodied essence
May rejoin ye—and attain its goal!
Too disturbing to my fervent Soul—
Till the time its disembodied essence
May rejoin ye—and attain its goal!
Proud, and sovereign, and victorious Strangers!—
Then shall ye illume its wonderous way!
Ye, that fixed remain—and ye—far rangers,
Circling round the Eternal Orb of Day!
Then shall ye illume its wonderous way!
Ye, that fixed remain—and ye—far rangers,
Circling round the Eternal Orb of Day!
Then—clear-mirrored in the immortal Spirit,
Shall ye shine—with added glories crowned,
Light more pure than yours shall that inherit
When it once hath burst its Earthly bound!
Shall ye shine—with added glories crowned,
Light more pure than yours shall that inherit
When it once hath burst its Earthly bound!
221
Dread, Mysterious, and Illustrious Splendours!—
Then shall ye be bared to its strong ken,
Faint the homage is, which now it renders—
To your shrines—but such 't will not be then!
Then shall ye be bared to its strong ken,
Faint the homage is, which now it renders—
To your shrines—but such 't will not be then!
Oh! ye Mysteries of the Heavens above us!—
Great, and Glorious, and Harmonious Stars!—
Gaze ye not, like Angel-things that love us!—
On our wrongs—our sufferings—and our wars?
Great, and Glorious, and Harmonious Stars!—
Gaze ye not, like Angel-things that love us!—
On our wrongs—our sufferings—and our wars?
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