University of Virginia Library

Welcome, O fair new day that comes at last;
Waited and hoped for! O young hours, fly fast,
Bringing the time of my sweet sacrifice!
I know that when the morrow's sun doth rise
My place shall elsewhere be. O thought most sweet!
Before another dawn these weary feet
Shall find the jasper streets, and pass the gate
Wrought of a pearl, to where the Christ doth wait
For His beloved ones.

Lord, Thou hearest me!
Dost Thou not know it hath seemed good to Thee
Of late to try, oft and in many ways,
Thy servant's heart? Oh, sorrowing nights and days,
When Thy love seemed far off, my soul hath known!
Have I not suffered anguish, when mine own,
Those whom I love, had drawn me by my love
Back to their gods; and when to Thee above
I cried for help, Thou didst not hear my cry,
And Thy sweet heaven seemed brass, while wearily
Alone I wrestled with mine anguish sore
Through the long days and nights? The babe I bore,
The little babe I love, that came from Thee,
To grow into my heart, they brought to me
To tempt me, with its baby cry of pain
And baby kiss. Oh, my heart broke in twain!
Yet I did turn away, and hid my face,
And wound my trembling arms in strong embrace
Round Thy dead piercèd feet; nor looked again
Till they grew weary tempting, and were fain
To leave me. But the night came on with speed,
And these who suffer with me, these indeed
My dear-loved friends in Thee, did slumber sweet,
When on the dark I saw, with anguished beat
Of my sad heart, my baby's form arise
And stretch weak hands to me, and baby cries
Came to me through the silence, and I fell
Upon the dank ground of this loathly cell;
And my soul wrestled with my heart with might,
The while upon the dark the livelong night
The phantom thing rose up that sought my soul,
And I cried out to Thee, “Lord, keep me whole;
Lord, save me from this sight,” until with morn
It vanished. Yet this anguish have I borne
Through all the nights since then, and wished me dead,
At rest; but now Thou hast rememberèd!
For lo! last night, when the high city streets
Were pale with moonlight, and the sea that meets
Our shores, a new white moon-world gleamed an shone,
Seemed the grey towers of our Carthage grown
To carven silver, I did kneel and pray,
And saw the while a pitiful moon-ray
Steal through the dark, and light the fearsome place,
When lo! a wondrous light, as from God's face,
So passing bright it was, filled all the air:
Then saw I where a ladder high and fair,
Made of the precious gold, did lift its head
Into the clouds of heaven, and shapes of dread
Dragons at foot thereof did vomit fire
And flame and smoke, and things of torture dire
Each step encompassed, knife and gleaming sword,
To fright who would ascend; and then I heard
A voice, so sweet my very heartstrings moved,
Call to me, once, twice, thrice—“My best beloved,
Come, My Perpetua, come; thy Lover waits;”
And knew Thy voice, O Lord! from heaven's gates.
Then passed I by the dragon's mouth of flame,
With Jesu, Jesu, Jesu, and the Name
Stilled the foul beast, and with unfaltering feet
Clomb I the straitened stair; nor feared to meet
The piercing knives, for when the flesh had shrieked
The spirit leaped and sang, and nothing recked
Of earthly pains, and last I came to where
Celestial fields did bloom, and pale and fair
My Lover came, with bleeding hands outspread,
And both were pierced, and on His kingly head
Bare He a thorny crown, and, oh! He spake
Such words to me, this heart methought did break
Forth from my breast to pass away to Him,
And with the happy tears mine eyes were dim.
Then gave He fair white food to me to eat,
Which I did taste, and found so wondrous sweet
Lo! on the ground I fell, and all things passed.
And when to things of earth my soul at last
Wakened, within the cell, 'twas nigh the morn,
And pallid looked each sleeping face forlorn,
And chill the air, and all the place did fill
The dying moonlight, silvery and still.

And now the day comes, as an Eastern king,
With jewelled pomp and brave apparelling
Of gold and sapphire! O thou day of bliss!
O sweet fair day! was ever day like this;
This day that sees my bridal hour draw near?
Sweet joy fills all my heart; all thoughts of fear
Have vanished, and I know by Thy sweet word
Some day, some hour, that Thou wilt bring me, Lord,
My child—grown whiter, sweeter; yet my child!
And now I wait Thy presence fair and mild.
Call Thy poor bride, who, from her poverty,
Has only tears and love to bring to Thee;
And let her lay her gifts beneath Thy feet,
Perchance to find them some day, rich and sweet,
Glowing like gems, in everlasting years;
For love may shine as rubies, and pale tears
Become as rare sweet pearls before Thy throne.
Now haste, dear Lord, the dark hour that comes on,
The fierce, wild torture, borne a little space,
And then—the Palm, the Crown, the Bridegroom's face!