 | The golden whales of California and other rhymes in the American language |  |
38
A MEDITATION ON THE SUN
I
Come, let us think upon the great that came
Our spiritual solar-kings, whose fame
Is quenchless in the lands of mental light,
High planets in the vast historic game:
Our spiritual solar-kings, whose fame
Is quenchless in the lands of mental light,
High planets in the vast historic game:
Youths from the sky, they came in splendid flight.
We hold to them as to our day and night,
And by them measure out our moments here,
Our greatness, littleness, and wrong and right.
We hold to them as to our day and night,
And by them measure out our moments here,
Our greatness, littleness, and wrong and right.
For like the sun, we carry yesteryears
Within our wallets: all the ancient fears
And scorns and triumphs woven in our cloaks,
Our tall plumes bought with some lost race's tears.
Within our wallets: all the ancient fears
And scorns and triumphs woven in our cloaks,
Our tall plumes bought with some lost race's tears.
Oh sun, I wish that all the nations bright
You ever looked upon were in my sight,
That I had stood up in your royal car
With your eye-rays to search out field and height:
You ever looked upon were in my sight,
That I had stood up in your royal car
With your eye-rays to search out field and height:
39
To see young David, leading forth his sheep,
The Christ Child on the Hill of Nazareth sleep,
To watch proud Dante climb the stranger's stairs,
To see the ocean round Columbus leap.
The Christ Child on the Hill of Nazareth sleep,
To watch proud Dante climb the stranger's stairs,
To see the ocean round Columbus leap.
And beauty absolute man's heart has known
In those old hills where the Greek blood was sown,
They named you young Apollo in that day
And served you well, and loved your chariot-throne.
In those old hills where the Greek blood was sown,
They named you young Apollo in that day
And served you well, and loved your chariot-throne.
Would I had looked on Venice in her prime.
And long had watched the prayerful Gothic time
When Notre Dame arose, a mystery there
In wicked good old Paris and its grime!
And long had watched the prayerful Gothic time
When Notre Dame arose, a mystery there
In wicked good old Paris and its grime!
II
Oh light, light, light! Oh Sun your light is good.
You stir the sap of garden, field and wood,
Of men and ages. And your deeds are fair,
And by this light, is God's love understood.
You stir the sap of garden, field and wood,
Of men and ages. And your deeds are fair,
And by this light, is God's love understood.
So let us think upon Creation's days
And Great Jehovah Moses came to praise:—
The God the Hebrews said excelled the sun,
To whom all psalms are due, who made the ways
And Great Jehovah Moses came to praise:—
The God the Hebrews said excelled the sun,
To whom all psalms are due, who made the ways
40
The sun shall follow till he burns no more
Till he is cold and clinkered to the core.
Praise God, and not the sun too much, my soul,
The God behind the sun we must adore.
Till he is cold and clinkered to the core.
Praise God, and not the sun too much, my soul,
The God behind the sun we must adore.
III
Oh Sun, that yet will my spring thoughts astound,
How often this lone mendicant you found
Stripped in your presence of all earthly things.
A happy dervish whirling round and round.
How often this lone mendicant you found
Stripped in your presence of all earthly things.
A happy dervish whirling round and round.
You were his tree of incense and his feast,
You were his wagon and his harnessed beast,
His singing brother, yet his tyrant hard,
With whip and spur and shout that never ceased.
You were his wagon and his harnessed beast,
His singing brother, yet his tyrant hard,
With whip and spur and shout that never ceased.
He thought of Freedom that rides round with you
Healing the nations with a crystal dew,
The comrade of your car, with Science there,
Making the ways of men forever new.
Healing the nations with a crystal dew,
The comrade of your car, with Science there,
Making the ways of men forever new.
Would we might lift a mighty battle-cry.
Nations and mendicants, and shake your sky:
Would that you caught us singing as one man
That song I sang when begging days began
Hearing it in every beam on high:
“Man's spirit-darkness shall forever die.”
Nations and mendicants, and shake your sky:
41
That song I sang when begging days began
Hearing it in every beam on high:
“Man's spirit-darkness shall forever die.”
| The golden whales of California and other rhymes in the American language | |