 | Songs of Religion and Life |  |
48
Lift up your Hymns, all Men.
A SONG OF PRAISE FOR BRITISH WORKMEN.
Lift up your hymns, all men
Who scan with lordly eye,
And mete with kingly ken
The starry-peopled sky;
Praise ye the God
Who bade ye tread,
With lofty head,
Earth's lowly sod!
Who scan with lordly eye,
And mete with kingly ken
The starry-peopled sky;
Praise ye the God
Who bade ye tread,
With lofty head,
Earth's lowly sod!
Time was when ye were not;
Through lightless depths forlorn
The Eternal Father shot
His ray, and ye were born.
Even Him praise ye,
Whose quickening light
Redeems from night
All things that be.
Through lightless depths forlorn
The Eternal Father shot
His ray, and ye were born.
49
Whose quickening light
Redeems from night
All things that be.
How wondrous each fair form
Of life that swarms on earth,
Light fowl and ringèd worm,
And stout four-footed birth!
But, lord of all,
High-fronted man
To crown His plan
God's voice did call.
Of life that swarms on earth,
Light fowl and ringèd worm,
And stout four-footed birth!
But, lord of all,
High-fronted man
To crown His plan
God's voice did call.
Look forth, O man, and know
Thy glorious mission given
To rule the earth below
With wisdom lent from heaven.
To His command
Obedience bring
Who made thee king
Of sea and land!
Thy glorious mission given
To rule the earth below
With wisdom lent from heaven.
To His command
Obedience bring
50
Of sea and land!
From ice-bound pole to pole,
From sunny zone to zone,
March forth with venturous soul
And claim the world thine own;
And praise Him ever
Who bade thy hand
Rule sea and land
With proud endeavour!
From sunny zone to zone,
March forth with venturous soul
And claim the world thine own;
And praise Him ever
Who bade thy hand
Rule sea and land
With proud endeavour!
The granite boulders vast
Split with thy mastering wedge,
The gusty-driving blast
Rein on the billow's edge;
And understand
By what high claim
Thy wit doth tame
Both sea and land.
Split with thy mastering wedge,
The gusty-driving blast
Rein on the billow's edge;
And understand
By what high claim
Thy wit doth tame
Both sea and land.
51
With cylinder and beam
And fine-conducting skill,
Torture the straitened steam
To work thy reasoned will;
And understand
How Godlike Mind
The power doth bind
Of sea and land!
And fine-conducting skill,
Torture the straitened steam
To work thy reasoned will;
And understand
How Godlike Mind
The power doth bind
Of sea and land!
With bolt and bar and clamp
And strong-subduing fire,
And chymick virtue stamp
All things to thy desire;
For God in heaven
Such shaping skill
To man's wise will
Hath surely given.
And strong-subduing fire,
And chymick virtue stamp
All things to thy desire;
For God in heaven
Such shaping skill
To man's wise will
Hath surely given.
Pile high th' embattled tower,
And where the huge seas roll
With arms of Titan power
Fling forth the mighty mole,
Whose strength doth save
Brave hearts from scaith
Of yawning Death
And yeasty grave!
And where the huge seas roll
52
Fling forth the mighty mole,
Whose strength doth save
Brave hearts from scaith
Of yawning Death
And yeasty grave!
Stretch forth the pendant bridge,
'Cross the broad-breasted tide,
And round the steep-faced ridge
On smoking chariot ride,
Even as a bird
Well-used to soar
His plumy oar
Hath lightly stirred.
'Cross the broad-breasted tide,
And round the steep-faced ridge
On smoking chariot ride,
Even as a bird
Well-used to soar
His plumy oar
Hath lightly stirred.
And let thy lordly hest,
And thy heart's hot desire
Be sped to East and West
Swift through the thrilling wire,
O'er earth and sea,
Which God the Lord
Did well accord
A stage for thee!
And thy heart's hot desire
Be sped to East and West
Swift through the thrilling wire,
53
Which God the Lord
Did well accord
A stage for thee!
Lift up thy head, O man,
And walk rejoicing forth,
To sway with sweatful plan
The stubborn-breasted earth.
Thus shalt thou be
Liegeman of God,
Treading earth's sod
Erect and free!
And walk rejoicing forth,
To sway with sweatful plan
The stubborn-breasted earth.
Thus shalt thou be
Liegeman of God,
Treading earth's sod
Erect and free!
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