Feda with Other Poems Chiefly Lyrical. By Rennell Rodd ... With an Etching by Harper Pennington |
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CREDO. |
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 | Feda with Other Poems |  |
167
CREDO.
I will sing a song for the toilers, the song of the open ways,
The poem of human effort, the song of the works and days.
The poem of human effort, the song of the works and days.
Come down by the crowded river,—do you think there are no songs here?
I will show you the song of songs, and the meaning of songs made clear;
I will show you the song of songs, and the meaning of songs made clear;
In the tune of the hands that fashion, in the workers working aline,
The forge and the anvil smitten, and the marvel of long design:
The forge and the anvil smitten, and the marvel of long design:
Where the masts of the myriad ships reach far as the eye may scan,
And every stroke on the iron rings out the glory of man,
And every stroke on the iron rings out the glory of man,
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Tall pine of the snow-fed Norseland, oak strength of our island trees,
The might of the earth's surrender sent forth to fight with the seas:
The might of the earth's surrender sent forth to fight with the seas:
Like a thought from the brain of a poet shall she fare with her sails unfurled
From the heart of the city of nations, the great pulsebeat of the world:
From the heart of the city of nations, the great pulsebeat of the world:
She shall lie becalmed on the waters in the glare of the sultry noons,
She shall glide through phosphor waves, as they read by the tropic moons:
She shall glide through phosphor waves, as they read by the tropic moons:
And the mariner's boy shall wonder at the large unwonted stars,
The winged fish under her bow, and the strange birds lit on her spars.
The winged fish under her bow, and the strange birds lit on her spars.
O world not weary or old, fair world immortally new,
Speed fresh pioneers to battle with the infinite work to do!
Speed fresh pioneers to battle with the infinite work to do!
169
Strike thou on the bolt exulting, young man with the knotted chest,
For the stroke of thine arm endures, and the worst gives way to the best!
For the stroke of thine arm endures, and the worst gives way to the best!
Strike form and design and triumph from the old eternal strife,
Through the force controlled and mastered infuse the matter with life!
Through the force controlled and mastered infuse the matter with life!
Now out on the craven adage, let it be with the ancient graves
The cry of the curse of labour, for that was the cry of slaves!
The cry of the curse of labour, for that was the cry of slaves!
Let it speak to you this world's wonder, this conquering force and mind,
Oh, open your hearts, long-sleepers, and open your eyes, long blind!
Oh, open your hearts, long-sleepers, and open your eyes, long blind!
Take heart, oh labouring strength, strike sure, on masterly hands!
By the will informed on the conquered mass, the dream of the world expands;
By the will informed on the conquered mass, the dream of the world expands;
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All things grow possible now, thought's range has a wider scope,
The germ of faith in the things achieved is the seed of an infinite hope.
The germ of faith in the things achieved is the seed of an infinite hope.
God's Now is a myriad years, and ye say that the end is long,
That the host will not be gathered, nor the hands of the few be strong;
That the host will not be gathered, nor the hands of the few be strong;
A little while and a while we wait,—for the strength that the years beget,
To be bold for the strong conviction, have done with the half-regret,
To be bold for the strong conviction, have done with the half-regret,
To dare to confront and break through the old and the time-endeared,
To endure the imputed motive, and smile when the heart is seared.
To endure the imputed motive, and smile when the heart is seared.
For the price must be paid of purchase, and bitter it is to win,
It was lonelier once and darker, when of old they dared to begin;
It was lonelier once and darker, when of old they dared to begin;
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But I know it must all come true, I have hope for the by-and-bye,
Or what were the wise men's wisdom, and why did the brave men die?
Or what were the wise men's wisdom, and why did the brave men die?
They carried a whole world's burden to a desolate grave for this;
How the lips that shall love hereafter will breathe their names in a kiss!
How the lips that shall love hereafter will breathe their names in a kiss!
But the ways shall divide before us, the songs of all lands combine
In the loud victorious music that rings for the battle sign!
In the loud victorious music that rings for the battle sign!
O child of the earth, who art thou, to sit in thy dumb despair?
Lo, thine old immortal mother is young for ever and fair,
Lo, thine old immortal mother is young for ever and fair,
With dower of all creations, enriched, she that cannot lose
Earth, generous, all-accepting, for whom doth the earth refuse?
Earth, generous, all-accepting, for whom doth the earth refuse?
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All matter and hope and power, and range of a thousand lands,
She hath given us unwithholding. Who is it hath bound our hands?
She hath given us unwithholding. Who is it hath bound our hands?
We shall call them forth from the cities, away to the fields of birth,
Not one shall be disherited, one hopeless in the earth.
Not one shall be disherited, one hopeless in the earth.
Oh, you that stand in the sunlight, unearned, could you not forego
A share of your sun-warmed hill sweep for these in the shade below?
A share of your sun-warmed hill sweep for these in the shade below?
You should be so glad to beckon, to call them up from their night,
To watch for the form and order that is born in your own fair light:
To watch for the form and order that is born in your own fair light:
For never was aught lacked beauty, aught failed since the world began,
In body or soul deformed to see, but the wrong was done of man.
In body or soul deformed to see, but the wrong was done of man.
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Have you fear for the chance of changes, is the bitter sweet of the past
The best that you dare to dream of, God's scheme for the world at last?
The best that you dare to dream of, God's scheme for the world at last?
Do you think that there is no way but the worn unlovely road,
And there in the perfumed places are you casting about for God?
And there in the perfumed places are you casting about for God?
If you knew how safe is the truth, how little avail your Noes,
How the seed swells into the shoot, and how surely the young tree grows!
How the seed swells into the shoot, and how surely the young tree grows!
How truth is above your gauge, how it takes no count of the years,
How we smile at your half concessions, the doubt, the regrets, the fears!
How we smile at your half concessions, the doubt, the regrets, the fears!
For what have you strained to outstrip, hope winning of what in your strife?
Is there anything worth the winning in the antics you call life?
Is there anything worth the winning in the antics you call life?
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I am sad for you all, my brothers, to yourselves is the greater wrong,
You have seen but a part of the purpose, sung one bar out of the song.
You have seen but a part of the purpose, sung one bar out of the song.
Still somewhere hidden away, like the pearl on the ocean shelf,
With the drift and the sea's weed hiding, is the old god-imaged self;
With the drift and the sea's weed hiding, is the old god-imaged self;
And I wish I could find some word that would ring on that soul's self true,
To pierce through the unessential to the pearl in the heart of you:
To pierce through the unessential to the pearl in the heart of you:
To strip you clean to the soul, of the mask, the seeming, the name,
And leave you naked and bare, to your beauty and in your shame.
And leave you naked and bare, to your beauty and in your shame.
Turn, turn from the forms and symbols, look into the heart instead,
There is more in the heart to guide than the words of the wisest head!
There is more in the heart to guide than the words of the wisest head!
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Where over all wandering mists, like a glory of light breaks through
On the love of the same things lovely, the sense of the same things true.
On the love of the same things lovely, the sense of the same things true.
Therefore let us bar our hearts to never a man that lives,
For wider is love than life is, and I know that it grows as it gives.
For wider is love than life is, and I know that it grows as it gives.
Is there one that is self-absorbed dare look at the sky and sea?
Can hate dwell under the starlight, in the sun can a mean thing be?
Can hate dwell under the starlight, in the sun can a mean thing be?
Oh, all you great of the earth, come and read your lives in the graves!
On the lordly one and the lowly the tuft of the wild grass waves.
On the lordly one and the lowly the tuft of the wild grass waves.
Do you see what has lived behind them, do you think when your days are sweet,
On these that have smoothed your highway with travel of weary feet?
On these that have smoothed your highway with travel of weary feet?
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Look, never one soft word spoken dies out on the quivering air,
But the load of the years is lightened, and the joy of it everywhere!
But the load of the years is lightened, and the joy of it everywhere!
Here is love for you dead and nameless! Not in vain did one of you fall,
And the bond of the same wide being makes kinsmen out of us all:
And the bond of the same wide being makes kinsmen out of us all:
There was count of them all before us, there was need of the lowliest ones,
I am child of you all, O fathers, and brother of you, O sons!
I am child of you all, O fathers, and brother of you, O sons!
From you what the years inherit, the vast bewildering plan,
The light that is guide to effort, the hope and the help for man:
The light that is guide to effort, the hope and the help for man:
And strong by the strength you gave them the wise of the world are calm,
Where the riot and clamour of voices are lost in a louder psalm;
Where the riot and clamour of voices are lost in a louder psalm;
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And shapes as of endless idols, this one with the hands red dyed,
The prince and the priest and the bigot, the saint with the bleeding side,
The prince and the priest and the bigot, the saint with the bleeding side,
The chief and the crouching figures, the changeful murmur and cry,
The strain and urge of the moment, all this goes wildering by:
The strain and urge of the moment, all this goes wildering by:
They are grown far-off and unreal, with the murmur of their complaint,
They are shadows at war with shadows, and the wail of them waxes faint;
They are shadows at war with shadows, and the wail of them waxes faint;
Turn, turn from the cave's dark hollow! look up to the light and see,
Though thine eyes be dazed in the glory, the man that is yet to be!
Though thine eyes be dazed in the glory, the man that is yet to be!
Time's wings are at pause beside him, and calm is his heart's strong beat,
And the dust of these old dominions is flowerful round his feet.
And the dust of these old dominions is flowerful round his feet.
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Exult, we have won the midway, and the light has scared the gloom,
And we smile at the old sad sentence, we are freed from the endless doom.
And we smile at the old sad sentence, we are freed from the endless doom.
Not heirs of a forfeit Godhead, degenerate, waning away,
But climbing, and all too slowly, from darkness into the day.
But climbing, and all too slowly, from darkness into the day.
There is light in my eyes of dawning, of a fair world weary of sleep,
I see the new peopling islands, dominions over the deep,
I see the new peopling islands, dominions over the deep,
Away to the ancient forests, and the wilds that are yet unwon,
Where the envious growth of creepers goes rivalling up to the sun;
Where the envious growth of creepers goes rivalling up to the sun;
Where the streams of the orient land roll out through their gates of gold,
Where the dizziest mountain summits were shrines of the faiths of old,
Where the dizziest mountain summits were shrines of the faiths of old,
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Where the well of the desert waters gives life to the lonely tree,
Where the tent of the turbaned nomad is set by the inland sea.
Where the tent of the turbaned nomad is set by the inland sea.
From the zone of the torrid summers to the uttermost ways of snow,
From the inland-men to the island-men shall the greeting of good-will go:
From the inland-men to the island-men shall the greeting of good-will go:
Peace, peace on the earth for ever, and we all forgotten so long,
But the air that they breathe is holy because of our sighs and song.
But the air that they breathe is holy because of our sighs and song.
And their maids shall be pure as morning, their youth shall be taught no lie,
But the way shall be smooth and open for all men under the sky;
But the way shall be smooth and open for all men under the sky;
They will build their new romances, new dreams of a world to be,
Conceive a sublimer out-come than the end of the world we see,
Conceive a sublimer out-come than the end of the world we see,
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And the shadow shall pass we dwell in, till under the self-same sun
The names of the myriad nations are writ in the name of one;
The names of the myriad nations are writ in the name of one;
What once in the dark strife ages the young Macedonian planned,
When he flung his Bœotian chlamys by the sea on the Nile-mouth sand,
When he flung his Bœotian chlamys by the sea on the Nile-mouth sand,
Saying, Here will I build me a city for all in their right of birth,
For my undivided nation, my people of all the earth.
For my undivided nation, my people of all the earth.
He that had dared to reason with the wisest man of the wise,
And had looked to a grander vision with his young world-conquering eyes,
And had looked to a grander vision with his young world-conquering eyes,
Who scorned at the Master's saying, of the born to be slave or free,
Seeing one same sun over all men, one wide earth girdling sea.
Seeing one same sun over all men, one wide earth girdling sea.
181
Rest, dead pioneers, rest well, bright spirits, and be content,
It is near on the day to march in, the night of the years is spent!
It is near on the day to march in, the night of the years is spent!
The arms of the dawn are reaching to gather the mist away,
And your star that the hill-peaks harboured grows dim in the rose of day.
And your star that the hill-peaks harboured grows dim in the rose of day.
I can see as it were in a vision the fulness of day unroll,
And the light of the sunrise cresting the hills with its aureole,
And the light of the sunrise cresting the hills with its aureole,
First red in the sky at dawning, wild cloud and the bode of storm,
But the winds are hushed and the clouds dispart for the feet of a queenly from.
But the winds are hushed and the clouds dispart for the feet of a queenly from.
On her brows is a crown of olive, her arms are outstretched afar,
She is robed in a rainbow's glory, and each of her eyes is a star.
She is robed in a rainbow's glory, and each of her eyes is a star.
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The sword that she bears is broken, the arc of her wings is furled,
She is throned on the ancient mountains, and her smile goes over the world.
She is throned on the ancient mountains, and her smile goes over the world.
| Feda with Other Poems | |