 | Passion-Flowers |  |
123
ΘΕΟΣ.
He was—from out the primal darkness
The glancing of his armor shone,
From depth to depth his starry traces
Throughout the great abyss were strown.
The glancing of his armor shone,
From depth to depth his starry traces
Throughout the great abyss were strown.
He was—ere there was one to worship,
Ere spirit into matter came,
Ere heart had fainted at his greatness,
Ere tongue had trembled with his name.
Ere spirit into matter came,
Ere heart had fainted at his greatness,
Ere tongue had trembled with his name.
He was—and human souls came gifted
With this great thought, their dower of birth;
And men in childish fashion cherished
Some symbol that was God on earth.
With this great thought, their dower of birth;
And men in childish fashion cherished
Some symbol that was God on earth.
124
He was—the upper air contained him,
The sunlight was his smile of grace;
In wrath he gathered clouds about him,
And loosed the thunder for its race.
The sunlight was his smile of grace;
In wrath he gathered clouds about him,
And loosed the thunder for its race.
He was—prophetic spirits sought him
At isolated mountain shrines;
His breathing lit volcanic fires,
His whisper stirred the sombre pines.
At isolated mountain shrines;
His breathing lit volcanic fires,
His whisper stirred the sombre pines.
He was—men writ his deeds in fables,
Priests in his name ruled well or ill;
Their best of knowledge could but give him
The Sovran Deity of will.
Priests in his name ruled well or ill;
Their best of knowledge could but give him
The Sovran Deity of will.
He was—through thoughts and things chaotic,
Through doubt and dreaming, ever new,
Through creed profane and impious temple
Still strangely out of man he grew.
Through doubt and dreaming, ever new,
Through creed profane and impious temple
Still strangely out of man he grew.
He was—o'er human thought and impulse
Brooding, till that untrammelled sea
Set to the golden tide of duty,
The law of Nature's majesty.
Brooding, till that untrammelled sea
Set to the golden tide of duty,
The law of Nature's majesty.
125
Still must thou brood, auspicious Power!
A tenderer, deeper spell we crave;
A holy harmony must gather
The billowy Being, wave to wave.
A tenderer, deeper spell we crave;
A holy harmony must gather
The billowy Being, wave to wave.
Not pounding precepts dry and dusty,
Like schoolmen wrangling in a gown,
Came those, whom to our grateful knowledge
The ages reverently hand down.
Like schoolmen wrangling in a gown,
Came those, whom to our grateful knowledge
The ages reverently hand down.
The tasks they wrought were tasks Titanic;
With strength proportioned to our need,
With mighty sweep of line and plummet,
They laid the basis of our creed.
With strength proportioned to our need,
With mighty sweep of line and plummet,
They laid the basis of our creed.
From high-strung thought to high-nerved action,
Or through the painfulness of art,
Or depth of saintliness outshining,
They grew, the heroes of the heart.
Or through the painfulness of art,
Or depth of saintliness outshining,
They grew, the heroes of the heart.
The Prophet on the flaming mountain,
The Sage in Learning's leafy grove,
The Sybil in her awful beauty,
Waited the birth serene of Love.
The Sage in Learning's leafy grove,
The Sybil in her awful beauty,
Waited the birth serene of Love.
126
Then Love appeared, the hope of ages,
Love, sad and strong, with bleeding brow,
Wide-wandering as the fertile waters,
Asking of Earth: ‘Why weepest thou?’
Love, sad and strong, with bleeding brow,
Wide-wandering as the fertile waters,
Asking of Earth: ‘Why weepest thou?’
He came; and men, beneath his urging,
No more in doubt and darkness strode,
But dared one valorous leap to Heaven,
Brought thence Divineness, conquered God.
No more in doubt and darkness strode,
But dared one valorous leap to Heaven,
Brought thence Divineness, conquered God.
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