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139
GOD WISH
[_]
[‘Perhaps the notablest Norse God we hear tell of is the God Wunsch or Wish.’—Carlyle's Hero Worship.]
God Wish! if one of modern days
Might lift to thee a prayer,
What form of worship should he raise
To claim thy care?
Might lift to thee a prayer,
What form of worship should he raise
To claim thy care?
Such words as these?—I would have health;
I would have strength of limb,
With truth at heart, and wisdom's wealth
Of eyes ne'er dim;
I would have strength of limb,
With truth at heart, and wisdom's wealth
Of eyes ne'er dim;
I would be gentle, pure, and fair,
As One who loved me pray'd;
And bold and firm to do or bear
In Virtue's aid;
As One who loved me pray'd;
And bold and firm to do or bear
In Virtue's aid;
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I would have will to prophesy;
Brave deeds I would achieve,
And on the Future's tapestry
Grand tissues weave;
Brave deeds I would achieve,
And on the Future's tapestry
Grand tissues weave;
My life should journey as a star
Tow'rd an eternal aim,
And nations worship from afar
Its track of flame;
Tow'rd an eternal aim,
And nations worship from afar
Its track of flame;
I would build up in my own mind
A temple unto Truth,
And on its shrine an offering bind,—
My age and youth;
A temple unto Truth,
And on its shrine an offering bind,—
My age and youth;
I would have faith of One to whom
My faith should be a prize;
And love,—if thou couldst ope the tomb
Wherein One lies;
My faith should be a prize;
And love,—if thou couldst ope the tomb
Wherein One lies;
And children's beauty should bud forth
Around the parent stem,
And hope behold our scantiest worth
Fullgrown in them;
Around the parent stem,
And hope behold our scantiest worth
Fullgrown in them;
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I would have means to enrich the poor,
And power to uplift the low,
And all misfortune's barren moor
With blessings sow;
And power to uplift the low,
And all misfortune's barren moor
With blessings sow;
And I would win my fellows' love,
If love may guerdon zeal
That dares their deepest miseries prove
To surely heal;
If love may guerdon zeal
That dares their deepest miseries prove
To surely heal;
And praise should keep my name embalm'd
In history's choicest cell,
That men might say in years joy-calm'd—
‘He loved us well.’—
In history's choicest cell,
That men might say in years joy-calm'd—
‘He loved us well.’—
Or should I pray in fewer words
For virtue, love, and fame?
Or ask all joy that earth affords
In one loved name?—
For virtue, love, and fame?
Or ask all joy that earth affords
In one loved name?—
No answer issues from the North;
The Norsemen's potent God
Sits signless; Doom no more comes forth
To obey his nod.
The Norsemen's potent God
Sits signless; Doom no more comes forth
To obey his nod.
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God Wish! have I not pray'd aright?
Yet grant, before I die,
One lightning-flash athwart the fight,
One glimpse of sky.—
Yet grant, before I die,
One lightning-flash athwart the fight,
One glimpse of sky.—
God Wish!—What other God but thou,
Under some aspect Greek,
Approved his favourites with the vow—
‘Have what ye seek!’
Under some aspect Greek,
Approved his favourites with the vow—
‘Have what ye seek!’
They chose ‘what best might please the Powers’
Ere morning did return
The hope of all their youthful hours
Lay in an urn.
Ere morning did return
The hope of all their youthful hours
Lay in an urn.
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