The Poetical Works of George Barlow In Ten [Eleven] Volumes |
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| X. |
| XI. |
 | The Poetical Works of George Barlow |  |
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XII. LOVE AND DEATH
An angel watched the world rejoicing:
The flowers sang in the morning light;
The blue sea sang its tender love-song
To golden-girdled stars at night.
All seemed so full of peace and gladness—
Till lo! a sudden ice-cold breath
Passed over hill and wave and meadow:
A stern voice whispered, “I am Death!”
The flowers sang in the morning light;
The blue sea sang its tender love-song
To golden-girdled stars at night.
All seemed so full of peace and gladness—
Till lo! a sudden ice-cold breath
Passed over hill and wave and meadow:
A stern voice whispered, “I am Death!”
Alas! in all that angel's dreaming
His loving heart had never dreamed
That only for one single moment
The fairy blossoms sang and gleamed.
He turned, and in despairing sadness
Would have resought the heavens above,
When, softly sounding through the shadows,
A sweet voice whispered, “I am Love!”
His loving heart had never dreamed
That only for one single moment
The fairy blossoms sang and gleamed.
He turned, and in despairing sadness
Would have resought the heavens above,
When, softly sounding through the shadows,
A sweet voice whispered, “I am Love!”
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And then the angel saw that fairer
Than heaven with all its strifeless calm
Is earth, for Love makes sorrow lovely,
And plucks from grief the victor's palm.
Aye, Love with its undying sweetness
Can soothe the weary, cheer the lone:
If Death's voice threatens through the darkness,
Love whispers, “Death is overthrown!”
Than heaven with all its strifeless calm
Is earth, for Love makes sorrow lovely,
And plucks from grief the victor's palm.
Aye, Love with its undying sweetness
Can soothe the weary, cheer the lone:
If Death's voice threatens through the darkness,
Love whispers, “Death is overthrown!”
| The Poetical Works of George Barlow | |