 | Poems |  |
96
NEW HYMNS FOR SOLITUDE
I.
I come to Thee not asking aught; I crave
No gift of Thine, no grace;
Yet where the suppliants enter let me have
Within Thy courts a place.
No gift of Thine, no grace;
Yet where the suppliants enter let me have
Within Thy courts a place.
My hands, my heart contain no offering;
Thy name I would not bless
With lips untouched by altar-fire; I bring
Only my weariness.
Thy name I would not bless
With lips untouched by altar-fire; I bring
Only my weariness.
These are the children, frequent in Thy home;
Grant, Lord, to each his share;
Then turn, and merely gaze on me, who come
To lay my spirit bare.
Grant, Lord, to each his share;
Then turn, and merely gaze on me, who come
To lay my spirit bare.
II.
Yet one more step—no flight
The weary soul can bear—
Into a whiter light,
Into a hush more rare.
The weary soul can bear—
Into a whiter light,
Into a hush more rare.
Take me, I am all Thine,
Thine now, not seeking Thee,—
Hid in the secret shrine,
Lost in the shoreless sea.
Thine now, not seeking Thee,—
Hid in the secret shrine,
Lost in the shoreless sea.
97
Grant to the prostrate soul
Prostration new and sweet,
Make weak the weak, control
Thy creature at Thy feet.
Prostration new and sweet,
Make weak the weak, control
Thy creature at Thy feet.
Passive I lie: shine down,
Pierce through the will with straight
Swift beams, one after one,
Divide, disintegrate,
Pierce through the will with straight
Swift beams, one after one,
Divide, disintegrate,
Free me from self,—resume
My place, and be Thou there;
Yet also keep me. Come
Thou Saviour and Thou Slayer!
My place, and be Thou there;
Yet also keep me. Come
Thou Saviour and Thou Slayer!
III.
Nothing remains to say to Thee, O Lord,
I am confessed,
All my lips' empty crying Thou hast heard,
My unrest, my rest.
Why wait I any longer? Thou dost stay,
And therefore, Lord, I would not go away.
I am confessed,
All my lips' empty crying Thou hast heard,
My unrest, my rest.
Why wait I any longer? Thou dost stay,
And therefore, Lord, I would not go away.
Let me be at Thy feet a little space,
Forget me here;
I will not touch Thy hand, nor seek Thy face,
Only be near,
And this hour let Thy nearness feed the heart,
And when Thou goest I also will depart.
Forget me here;
I will not touch Thy hand, nor seek Thy face,
Only be near,
98
And when Thou goest I also will depart.
Then when Thou seekest Thy way, and I, mine
Let the World be
Not wide and cold after this cherishing shrine
Illum'd by Thee,
Nay, but worth worship, fair, a radiant star,
Tender and strong as Thy chief angels are.
Let the World be
Not wide and cold after this cherishing shrine
Illum'd by Thee,
Nay, but worth worship, fair, a radiant star,
Tender and strong as Thy chief angels are.
Yet bid me not go forth: I cannot now
Take hold on joy,
Nor sing the swift, glad song, nor bind my brow;
Her wise employ
Be mine, the silent woman at Thy knee
In the low room in little Bethany.
Take hold on joy,
Nor sing the swift, glad song, nor bind my brow;
Her wise employ
Be mine, the silent woman at Thy knee
In the low room in little Bethany.
IV.
Ah, that sharp thrill through all my frame!
And yet once more! Withstand
I can no longer; in Thy name
I yield me to Thy hand.
And yet once more! Withstand
I can no longer; in Thy name
I yield me to Thy hand.
Such pangs were in the soul unborn,
The fear, the joy were such,
When first it felt in that keen morn
A dread, creating touch.
The fear, the joy were such,
When first it felt in that keen morn
A dread, creating touch.
99
Maker of man, Thy pressure sure
This grosser stuff must quell;
The spirit faints, yet will endure,
Subdue, control, compel.
This grosser stuff must quell;
The spirit faints, yet will endure,
Subdue, control, compel.
The Potter's finger shaping me . . . .
Praise, praise! the clay curves up
Not for dishonour, though it be
God's least adornèd cup.
Praise, praise! the clay curves up
Not for dishonour, though it be
God's least adornèd cup.
V
Sins grew a heavy load and cold,
And pressed me to the dust;
“Whither,” I cried, “can this be rolled
Ere I behold the Just?”
And pressed me to the dust;
“Whither,” I cried, “can this be rolled
Ere I behold the Just?”
But now I claim them for my own;
Thy face I needs must find;
Lo! thus I wrought, yea, I alone,
Not weak, beguiled, or blind.
Thy face I needs must find;
Lo! thus I wrought, yea, I alone,
Not weak, beguiled, or blind.
See my full arms, my heaped-up shame,
An evil load I bring:
Thou, God, art a consuming flame,
Accept the hateful thing.
An evil load I bring:
Thou, God, art a consuming flame,
Accept the hateful thing.
Pronounce the dread condemning word,
I stand in blessed fear;
Dear is Thy cleansing wrath, O Lord,
The fire that burns is dear.
I stand in blessed fear;
Dear is Thy cleansing wrath, O Lord,
The fire that burns is dear.
100
VI.
I found Thee in my heart, O Lord,
As in some secret shrine;
I knelt, I waited for Thy word,
I joyed to name Thee mine.
As in some secret shrine;
I knelt, I waited for Thy word,
I joyed to name Thee mine.
I feared to give myself away
To that or this; beside
Thy altar on my face I lay,
And in strong need I cried.
To that or this; beside
Thy altar on my face I lay,
And in strong need I cried.
Those hours are past. Thou art not mine,
And therefore I rejoice,
I wait within no holy shrine,
I faint not for the voice.
And therefore I rejoice,
I wait within no holy shrine,
I faint not for the voice.
In Thee we live; and every wind
Of heaven is Thine; blown free
To west, to east, the God unshrined
Is still discovering me.
Of heaven is Thine; blown free
To west, to east, the God unshrined
Is still discovering me.
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