 | Passion-Flowers |  |
182
VISIONS.
I have read in old narrations
How the Godhood came to men;
Led in war the ancient nations,
Taught the arts of peace and gain.
How the Godhood came to men;
Led in war the ancient nations,
Taught the arts of peace and gain.
Now a virgin, helmet shielded,
Points from clouds her warrior spear;
Now the torch, by Ceres wielded,
Sheds the blessing of the year.
Points from clouds her warrior spear;
Now the torch, by Ceres wielded,
Sheds the blessing of the year.
Now, amid Olympian thunders,
Jove's portentous bolts are hurled;
Vulcan works his dingy wonders;
Cypris' smile enslaves the world.
Jove's portentous bolts are hurled;
Vulcan works his dingy wonders;
Cypris' smile enslaves the world.
183
Dearer visions show the gesture
Of a God who deigns to hide
Traits divine in homely vesture
At the peasant's fireside;
Of a God who deigns to hide
Traits divine in homely vesture
At the peasant's fireside;
Fathoms secrets without asking,
Sees the thought confessed to none;
Heavenly largesse ends his masking,
Men discern him when he's gone.
Sees the thought confessed to none;
Heavenly largesse ends his masking,
Men discern him when he's gone.
Sometimes when alone I ponder
On that outlet of the soul,
Hid in Northern night and wonder,
Armed with sunken reef and shoal;
On that outlet of the soul,
Hid in Northern night and wonder,
Armed with sunken reef and shoal;
Fear lest evil should betide me
On that wide and viewless sea,
Lest some flattering light misguide me,
That I perish utterly;
On that wide and viewless sea,
Lest some flattering light misguide me,
That I perish utterly;
Gentlest harmony breathes o'er me,
Bringing answer to my prayer;
Through the eyelids closed before me,
Shadowed, the Divine is there.
Bringing answer to my prayer;
Through the eyelids closed before me,
Shadowed, the Divine is there.
184
In the guise of human natures,
Folded round his deep heart now,
Manhood gracious in his features,
Godhood glorious on his brow.
Folded round his deep heart now,
Manhood gracious in his features,
Godhood glorious on his brow.
Still he sits beside the embers,
Fills serene the ancient chair,
Which my orphaned heart remembers
Silvered by an old man's hair.
Fills serene the ancient chair,
Which my orphaned heart remembers
Silvered by an old man's hair.
Hist! the household all is sleeping—
I'm in trances deeper far,
‘Didst thou hear my distant weeping,
Cristo, che son misera?’
I'm in trances deeper far,
‘Didst thou hear my distant weeping,
Cristo, che son misera?’
‘By these eyes’ unbidden filling,
By this love that passeth fear,
By this silence, soul-enthrilling,
I discerned that thou wert near;
By this love that passeth fear,
By this silence, soul-enthrilling,
I discerned that thou wert near;
‘Felt the holy grace and goodness
That vouchsafed thee to my sight,
Quieting Life's rush and rudeness
With a calm and pure delight.
That vouchsafed thee to my sight,
Quieting Life's rush and rudeness
With a calm and pure delight.
185
‘Bless me with those hands that scattered
Fulness to the fainting crowd;
Speak, as from the bark, storm-shattered,
To the demon of the cloud.
Fulness to the fainting crowd;
Speak, as from the bark, storm-shattered,
To the demon of the cloud.
‘Nay, my Cristo, help me only
To a striving after good;
Faints my heart in love so lonely,
Fails the earnest, hopeful mood.
To a striving after good;
Faints my heart in love so lonely,
Fails the earnest, hopeful mood.
‘Hold in check these nerves so frantic
When the current counter runs;
Give me patience with each antic
Of the wild and thoughtless ones.
When the current counter runs;
Give me patience with each antic
Of the wild and thoughtless ones.
‘If Displeasure, sourly looking
From stern eyelids, wounds my pride,
Let me hear thy mild rebuking,
And the pang in silence hide.
From stern eyelids, wounds my pride,
Let me hear thy mild rebuking,
And the pang in silence hide.
‘Clearer vision, joys ecstatic,
I resign for humbler state;
But let Life be emblematic
Of the soul's immortal fate.’
I resign for humbler state;
But let Life be emblematic
Of the soul's immortal fate.’
186
Oftener, my confession sighing,
Sobbing, struggles from my breast;
And that gentle One, replying,
Calms me to unearthly rest.
Sobbing, struggles from my breast;
And that gentle One, replying,
Calms me to unearthly rest.
Dimly though my soul discerneth
What those pure lips smile or say,
With a glad consent she turneth
Where the raised hand points the way;
Hopefully the pilgrim learneth
She must walk to meet the day.
What those pure lips smile or say,
With a glad consent she turneth
Where the raised hand points the way;
Hopefully the pilgrim learneth
She must walk to meet the day.
Then Life rises to entomb me;
Waking, I am all alone;
Half I feel Christ passes from me,
Half I deem he is not gone.
Waking, I am all alone;
Half I feel Christ passes from me,
Half I deem he is not gone.
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