 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
162
THE BEGINNING OF THE END.
October 27, 1864.
THAT I have lived to know this time,
That I have lived this fight to see,
Through Slavery's night to Freedom's prime,
Is Heaven's own holiest joy to me.
I do not ask to see the end,
For what am I to be so blest?
Enough for me the strife's begun,
And God will care for all the rest.
Through blood-red clouds the light I see,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
That I have lived this fight to see,
Through Slavery's night to Freedom's prime,
Is Heaven's own holiest joy to me.
I do not ask to see the end,
For what am I to be so blest?
Enough for me the strife's begun,
And God will care for all the rest.
Through blood-red clouds the light I see,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
Gone are those nightmares of the past,
The hardening fear—the lingering doubt,
If Lord or Slave unto the last
Must be our parts to still act out.
How oft they came—those fiendish thoughts,
Like vampires rising from the grave;
‘Oh, call your labour what you will,
The labourer is always slave.’
From all devilish doubt set free,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
The hardening fear—the lingering doubt,
If Lord or Slave unto the last
Must be our parts to still act out.
How oft they came—those fiendish thoughts,
Like vampires rising from the grave;
‘Oh, call your labour what you will,
The labourer is always slave.’
From all devilish doubt set free,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
163
The world has seen a thousand wars,
To test humanity's great truth,
Yet still the prison kept its bars,
And still the strife was one of youth,
Of headlong Youth with wary Age:
But Man is somewhat wiser grown,
While Ancient Evil weakens fast,
And soon it shall be overthrown.
Saints have prayed this time to see,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
To test humanity's great truth,
Yet still the prison kept its bars,
And still the strife was one of youth,
Of headlong Youth with wary Age:
But Man is somewhat wiser grown,
While Ancient Evil weakens fast,
And soon it shall be overthrown.
Saints have prayed this time to see,
Nunc dimittis Domine!
And thus spoke God: ‘Out of the North’
(In every age the place of doom),
‘Behold, great evil shall come forth.’
Wail! South-land, wail!—for it has come.
‘Woe to the South!’—the word went forth
In solemn warning years ago,
And many on the border laughed:—
The bolt is shot—now let it go!
Lord! we bow our heads to thee!
Nunc dimittis Domine!
(In every age the place of doom),
‘Behold, great evil shall come forth.’
Wail! South-land, wail!—for it has come.
‘Woe to the South!’—the word went forth
In solemn warning years ago,
And many on the border laughed:—
The bolt is shot—now let it go!
Lord! we bow our heads to thee!
Nunc dimittis Domine!
Ho! Northmen of the stormy coast!
Ye chosen with the avenging sword,
Called forth—it is no idle boast—
To do the bidding of the Lord,
Go on! And this ye shall not lose,
This to your name shall glory lend,
That Northmen in the world's long fight
First brought the battle towards an end.
'Tis the end of Slavery.
Nunc dimittis Domine!
Ye chosen with the avenging sword,
Called forth—it is no idle boast—
To do the bidding of the Lord,
Go on! And this ye shall not lose,
This to your name shall glory lend,
That Northmen in the world's long fight
First brought the battle towards an end.
'Tis the end of Slavery.
Nunc dimittis Domine!
| The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems | |