The Chain of Lilies, and other poems By William Brighty Rands |
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Light through the Trees.
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 | The Chain of Lilies, and other poems |  |
Light through the Trees.
How fair it seems, the sunshine blest,
On hill-top and on spire,
Or spreading, waveless, o'er the west,
A sea of crimson fire:
Or when through wintry morning's shroud,
It breaks with roseate tinge,
Or round fantastic folds of cloud
Sets gold and silver fringe!
On hill-top and on spire,
Or spreading, waveless, o'er the west,
A sea of crimson fire:
Or when through wintry morning's shroud,
It breaks with roseate tinge,
Or round fantastic folds of cloud
Sets gold and silver fringe!
62
The sunshine is a glorious thing,
And very beautiful,
At noon-tide, or at day's young spring,
Or eve, aslant and cool;
But never dearer than when shed,
In woodland, by degrees,
Through leafy lattice overhead,—
The sunshine through the trees!
And very beautiful,
At noon-tide, or at day's young spring,
Or eve, aslant and cool;
But never dearer than when shed,
In woodland, by degrees,
Through leafy lattice overhead,—
The sunshine through the trees!
Through the laced boughs, a soften'd day
Peeps with uncertain glance,
While, on the sward beneath, at play,
The faint leaf-shadows dance:
And yet the tiniest floweret there,
The eye, undazzled, sees,—
So clear, though mild, that radiance fair,
The sunshine through the trees.
Peeps with uncertain glance,
While, on the sward beneath, at play,
The faint leaf-shadows dance:
And yet the tiniest floweret there,
The eye, undazzled, sees,—
So clear, though mild, that radiance fair,
The sunshine through the trees.
Truth is a great and gorgeous sun,
And he may pour his light,
Unshaded, on the favour'd one
That challengeth the sight;
But often let him mildly shine,
Soften'd and by degrees,
And, on this timid heart of mine,
Shed radiance through the trees!
And he may pour his light,
Unshaded, on the favour'd one
That challengeth the sight;
But often let him mildly shine,
Soften'd and by degrees,
And, on this timid heart of mine,
Shed radiance through the trees!
63
Sweet thoughts and fancies intertwined
Are shadowing foliage green;
And Truth's blest sunshine cannot blind
If shed the leaves between:—
On all, not ev'n in Paradise,
Shineth unveil'd that sun,—
Only on His unfaltering eyes,
The All-beholding One.
Are shadowing foliage green;
And Truth's blest sunshine cannot blind
If shed the leaves between:—
On all, not ev'n in Paradise,
Shineth unveil'd that sun,—
Only on His unfaltering eyes,
The All-beholding One.
O ye, who bold in heated blood,
Or ardent in your youth,
For ever deem it right and good
To speak unsoften'd Truth,—
Who think kind words are labour vain,—
Who wound, when ye would mend,—
Cruel, when boasting to be plain,—
And severing friend from friend;
Or ardent in your youth,
For ever deem it right and good
To speak unsoften'd Truth,—
Who think kind words are labour vain,—
Who wound, when ye would mend,—
Cruel, when boasting to be plain,—
And severing friend from friend;
A thousand shadows intervene,
Between Truth's sun and you,
And, walking in prismatic sheen,
Ye deem it but your due:
Oh, thankless, shameless as ye are,—
Cease ways unkind as these,
Whilst Truth, your shrinking eyes to spare,
Sheds sunshine through the trees!
Between Truth's sun and you,
And, walking in prismatic sheen,
Ye deem it but your due:
Oh, thankless, shameless as ye are,—
Cease ways unkind as these,
Whilst Truth, your shrinking eyes to spare,
Sheds sunshine through the trees!
| The Chain of Lilies, and other poems | |