Poems By William Walsham How ... New and Enlarged Edition |
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Sunset at Durham.
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12
Sunset at Durham.
(FROM THE PREBENDS' BRIDGE.)
To all the town the sun is set;
Yet glorious on the hill
The mighty House of God is wrapt
In golden sunlight still.
Yet glorious on the hill
The mighty House of God is wrapt
In golden sunlight still.
The giant shadow hath crept on
From yonder uplands cast,
And over tree and over bank
Its silent foot hath past.
From yonder uplands cast,
And over tree and over bank
Its silent foot hath past.
But now it seemeth for a while
To hold its stealthy pace
In conscious awe, before it touch
The holy building's base.
To hold its stealthy pace
In conscious awe, before it touch
The holy building's base.
Under its dusky shroud I see
The shadowy river glide,
And grey mists gather fast between
Dim banks on either side.
The shadowy river glide,
And grey mists gather fast between
Dim banks on either side.
13
The winter trees are cold and black,
The winter wind moans by,
And sunless all the distant fields
Slope upward drearily.
The winter wind moans by,
And sunless all the distant fields
Slope upward drearily.
But high o'er all one building burns
So wonderfully bright
One scarce can deem it shineth not
With more than earthly light!
So wonderfully bright
One scarce can deem it shineth not
With more than earthly light!
For golden gleam the ancient towers
Against the cloud behind,
And all the tender tracery
With golden fire is twined.
Against the cloud behind,
And all the tender tracery
With golden fire is twined.
An awful pile of living light
Above a darkened world!
A standard, writ with gleaming words
Of love, from heaven unfurled!
Above a darkened world!
A standard, writ with gleaming words
Of love, from heaven unfurled!
A vision bright,—an Angel form
Poised o'er the dim low ground,
In its own radiance enshrined
'Mid dusky shades around.
Poised o'er the dim low ground,
In its own radiance enshrined
'Mid dusky shades around.
Oh! shall the scene to no glad thought
Of thankful hope give birth,
Of triumph, and of better things
Than are the things of earth?
Of thankful hope give birth,
Of triumph, and of better things
Than are the things of earth?
(1845.)
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