Amenophis and Other Poems Sacred and Secular by Francis T. Palgrave |
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| XLVII. |
XLVIITHE KING'S MESSENGER
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 | Amenophis and Other Poems Sacred and Secular |  |
115
XLVII
THE KING'S MESSENGER
He goes in silence through the crowd;
A veil is o'er his face;
Yet where but once his eyes are turn'd
There is an empty space.
The whispering throngs divide and stir:—
'Tis he! 'tis the King's Messenger!
A veil is o'er his face;
Yet where but once his eyes are turn'd
There is an empty space.
The whispering throngs divide and stir:—
'Tis he! 'tis the King's Messenger!
—We may perforce buy off the thought.
Or stifle or ignore;
The day at last will come on us
When day will come no more:
When on the spaces of the sky
We hardly lift a wearied eye;
Or stifle or ignore;
The day at last will come on us
When day will come no more:
When on the spaces of the sky
We hardly lift a wearied eye;
When rising death-mists change and blot
Familiar features near;
When we can give nor word not sign,
Nor what they utter hear;
When mother's tears no more are shed
For little faces round the bed;
Familiar features near;
When we can give nor word not sign,
Nor what they utter hear;
When mother's tears no more are shed
For little faces round the bed;
116
When Science folds her hands and sighs,
And cannot bridge the abyss;
And That, which once seem'd life, seems nought
Before the enormous This;
All days, all deeds, all passions past
Shrunk to a pin's point in the vast:—
And cannot bridge the abyss;
And That, which once seem'd life, seems nought
Before the enormous This;
All days, all deeds, all passions past
Shrunk to a pin's point in the vast:—
Then face to face to meet the King
Behind His messenger!
—O could we see that hour go by
Whilst youthful pulses stir,
With all our future to forgive,
We scarce could bear the sight, and live!
Behind His messenger!
—O could we see that hour go by
Whilst youthful pulses stir,
With all our future to forgive,
We scarce could bear the sight, and live!
—Thou Who for us hast suffer'd death,
Remember we are men;
Thou on the right hand of the Throne,
Have mercy on us then;
Thou from the King our pardon bear,
And be Thyself His messenger.
Remember we are men;
Thou on the right hand of the Throne,
Have mercy on us then;
Thou from the King our pardon bear,
And be Thyself His messenger.
| Amenophis and Other Poems Sacred and Secular | |