Griselda A Tragedy: And Other Poems. By Edwin Arnold |
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ALL SAINTS' DAY. |
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 | Griselda |  |
238
ALL SAINTS' DAY.
Up from earth to heaven's wide regions
Send your prayer and praise to-day,
For the glorious martyr-legions
Hence triumphant passed away.
Send your prayer and praise to-day,
For the glorious martyr-legions
Hence triumphant passed away.
Sigh of doubt or shade of sorrow
Ill beseemeth heart or brow,
Theirs like ours seemed sad to-morrow,
Who smile at our sadness now.
Ill beseemeth heart or brow,
Theirs like ours seemed sad to-morrow,
Who smile at our sadness now.
Let it go, a song of gladness,
Unto brother-angels there:—
We alive in sin and sadness,
They “dead in His faith and fear.”
Unto brother-angels there:—
We alive in sin and sadness,
They “dead in His faith and fear.”
239
Dead, but on dead foreheads wearing
Crowns that make their death a birth,
Won by hope that scorned despairing,
Worn in heaven for wars on earth.
Crowns that make their death a birth,
Won by hope that scorned despairing,
Worn in heaven for wars on earth.
Nay! and name not crowned ones, only
Nobly known for death and life,—
Hero souls, unmoved and lonely,
Fighting in the front of strife.
Nobly known for death and life,—
Hero souls, unmoved and lonely,
Fighting in the front of strife.
But those, too, who freely, gladly,
Uncomplaining fought to die;
Striving, striking all too madly
To find time for battle-cry.
Uncomplaining fought to die;
Striving, striking all too madly
To find time for battle-cry.
Those, the silent ones, who near them
Planted foot, and fought, and fell,
With no clarion praise to cheer them,
No voice crying ill or well.
Planted foot, and fought, and fell,
With no clarion praise to cheer them,
No voice crying ill or well.
240
These we owned not for God's angels,
Shall not own before we die,
Though their lives were men's evangels,
And their deaths our victory.
Shall not own before we die,
Though their lives were men's evangels,
And their deaths our victory.
Those whose lives, unknown to others,
Silent went to silent ends;
Some to some of us own brothers,
All to all of us high friends.
Silent went to silent ends;
Some to some of us own brothers,
All to all of us high friends.
All saints now, all now abiding
In glad homes beyond the sky,
Wearing, where salt tears were tiding
Smiles of set felicity.
In glad homes beyond the sky,
Wearing, where salt tears were tiding
Smiles of set felicity.
Smiles that call us to sky portals,
Saying, “On! brave heart and brow;”
Fail not, faint not, we were mortals
That are perfect spirits now.
Saying, “On! brave heart and brow;”
Fail not, faint not, we were mortals
That are perfect spirits now.
241
Thank God for them meekly bending,
That such soldiers lived and died,
Ask that thine be such an ending,
Such a death on such a side.
That such soldiers lived and died,
Ask that thine be such an ending,
Such a death on such a side.
| Griselda | |