 | Lyrical Poems |  |
114
SABBATH MORNING HYMN.
(Written at Farnham, Surrey.)
Fresh blows the Autumn breeze; wide waves
The tawny-mantled corn;
And wandering o'er far-stretching woods,
The minstrel bell,
With hollow swell,
Proclaims the Sabbath morn.
The tawny-mantled corn;
And wandering o'er far-stretching woods,
The minstrel bell,
With hollow swell,
Proclaims the Sabbath morn.
Hard-working England, hear the sound,
And give thy panting heart
Its weekly rest, well-earned by toil:
Harsh cares dismiss,
And learn what bliss
God's Sabbath may impart
And give thy panting heart
Its weekly rest, well-earned by toil:
Harsh cares dismiss,
And learn what bliss
God's Sabbath may impart
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To well-tuned souls. —Come cheerly forth
From labour's grimy dens,
Ye sternly striving, and behold
The bright sun shine,
With power divine,
On the green glades and glens
From labour's grimy dens,
Ye sternly striving, and behold
The bright sun shine,
With power divine,
On the green glades and glens
Of this fair Saxon land. Have time
To breathe, and to employ
The soul on its own wealth; unbind
Your work-day mail,
And blithely hail
One day of thoughtful joy.
To breathe, and to employ
The soul on its own wealth; unbind
Your work-day mail,
And blithely hail
One day of thoughtful joy.
Lo! where the white-smocked peasants flock
To swell the morning prayer!
'Tis sweet to nurse high thoughts alone,
But kindly wise,
Not thou despise,
The general hymn to share
To swell the morning prayer!
'Tis sweet to nurse high thoughts alone,
But kindly wise,
Not thou despise,
The general hymn to share
Of kindred human hearts. What though
Their creed, mayhap, from thine
Be far, one God, one heart, belongs
To all the clan,
Whose name is man,
One common blood divine.
Their creed, mayhap, from thine
Be far, one God, one heart, belongs
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Whose name is man,
One common blood divine.
Go thou, and join the song of love
And brotherhood, and pray
That pride and every prideful work
Be far from us;
And hallow thus
Our English Sabbath-day.
And brotherhood, and pray
That pride and every prideful work
Be far from us;
And hallow thus
Our English Sabbath-day.
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