 | Songs in the Whirlwind |  |
18
THE PATRIOT.
Far across the tides of ocean, loved through years for ever past,
Lies a land for ever England, England ever to the last.
Lies a land for ever England, England ever to the last.
Where the wooded hills are soundless save for Nature's lyric tones,
And the brooklet babbling on by hanging boughs and mossy stones,
And the brooklet babbling on by hanging boughs and mossy stones,
Where the mists trace mystic figures, deck with pearls the flowers and trees,
And the cornfield's golden ranks wave in the whispering western breeze.
And the cornfield's golden ranks wave in the whispering western breeze.
Where the shadows intermingle with the sunlight as it falls,
Weaving phantom forms and figures in the dim lit wooded halls.
Weaving phantom forms and figures in the dim lit wooded halls.
Ah! Remembrance leads us backward thro' the pathways of the mind,
And though memories may sadden yet they are not all unkind.
And though memories may sadden yet they are not all unkind.
There I heard the Spring's first skylark heralding the rising dawn,
Bird and song to heaven rising, on the wings of Hope upborne.
Bird and song to heaven rising, on the wings of Hope upborne.
There I saw the struggling sunbeam strike along the sleeping world,
When the shrouding night had vanished and the flags of day unfurled;
When the shrouding night had vanished and the flags of day unfurled;
When the Earth rose from her slumbers, with the dews yet on the grass,
There I saw the last star fading, watched the light-winged swallow pass.
There I saw the last star fading, watched the light-winged swallow pass.
And I heard the birds that gathered from the quarters and the poles,
Heard a thousand songs of gladness from a thousand kindred souls;
Heard a thousand songs of gladness from a thousand kindred souls;
Heard a thousand songs of Peace, of Hope, of Happiness and Truth,
Felt my being's pulses tingle with the promise of my Youth;
Felt my being's pulses tingle with the promise of my Youth;
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When my future lay before me with the ages unexplored,
And I gazed upon the Past with all the knowledge that it stored,
And I gazed upon the Past with all the knowledge that it stored,
There I sought for Truth and Beauty with the hope high in my heart,
Sought for Knowledge, Strength and Wisdom, stepped aside and lived apart.
Sought for Knowledge, Strength and Wisdom, stepped aside and lived apart.
And I saw the western heavens painted by an unseen hand,
With a skill surpassing knowledge and our power to understand;
With a skill surpassing knowledge and our power to understand;
Saw Orion burning ever like a lost world's funeral pyre,
Sinking while the shadows gather in a flaming sea of fire.
Sinking while the shadows gather in a flaming sea of fire.
There I saw the clouds like mountains heaped in a majestic pile;
Black and purple fringed with crimson, calm and silent, mile on mile.
Black and purple fringed with crimson, calm and silent, mile on mile.
And I watched the mists approaching, merging into twilight dim;
Sun-kissed vapour weaving fancies still and subtle, strange and slim.
Sun-kissed vapour weaving fancies still and subtle, strange and slim.
Dreams and visions! Mem'ry weaves them each fair form to me again,
Brings to me my happiest moments with a pleasant thrill of pain.
Brings to me my happiest moments with a pleasant thrill of pain.
Many hours I live with Memory through the years of my Youth,
Every pensive moment bearing out the ever ageless truth;
Every pensive moment bearing out the ever ageless truth;
Home is home the wide world over though its borders we may roam,
Fairest unto every wanderer when farthest from him home.
Fairest unto every wanderer when farthest from him home.
In the cells of Memory phantoms wander through the widowed hours,
Mourning Youth's dear lost companions and his palsied stricken powers.
Mourning Youth's dear lost companions and his palsied stricken powers.
O! the heart is only lonely when some happiness was known!
Only then does lone Remembrance wander forth to be alone!
Only then does lone Remembrance wander forth to be alone!
Many a morning e'er the sunlight heralded another dawn
Did we witness Earth's awakening, heard the song just newly born.
Did we witness Earth's awakening, heard the song just newly born.
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Many an evening while the shadows crept into the glowing West
Heard a song for perfect daytime, and a prayer for perfect rest.
Heard a song for perfect daytime, and a prayer for perfect rest.
And you ask, “Do we remember 'neath the heat of ancient suns,
O'er the parched and desert distance, in the hearing of the guns,
O'er the parched and desert distance, in the hearing of the guns,
“But one Summertime in England, but one song so sweet and clear?
England, home of soul and spirit! England ever, ever dear!
England, home of soul and spirit! England ever, ever dear!
“When at night we may be lying in the moon-lit Eastern land
Does Remembrance bring us sometimes just the pressure of a hand?
Does Remembrance bring us sometimes just the pressure of a hand?
“Or maybe a smile of welcome, or a whispered farewell word?
Or the echo of a song, or of a music we have heard?”
Or the echo of a song, or of a music we have heard?”
Yes! we love her—mother love, unshaken always, ever rules—
After all the cynic's laughter, and the contumely of fools.
After all the cynic's laughter, and the contumely of fools.
Constant thro' each sad shortcoming, seeking still her happiness;
And the faults her foes would publish cannot make us love her less.
And the faults her foes would publish cannot make us love her less.
But in spite of these, as well befits the sons of such a race,
Building on our love of Freedom, Piety, and Truth, and Grace.
Building on our love of Freedom, Piety, and Truth, and Grace.
Still you languish through the cycle of the season's ceaseless roll,
Knowing not if Right shall triumph, or if Peace has lost her soul.
Knowing not if Right shall triumph, or if Peace has lost her soul.
Once again has rolled round Autumn with her sorrowful grey days,
Mingling elegies of sadness with the victor's hymn of praise;
Mingling elegies of sadness with the victor's hymn of praise;
Rolling earth in her cold vapours when the too short days decline,
And the sun retiring, leaves the cold though kindly stars to shine.
And the sun retiring, leaves the cold though kindly stars to shine.
Soon shall come old white-robed Winter, purity is his alone,
And his mantle folds you, lonely, when the singing birds have flown.
And his mantle folds you, lonely, when the singing birds have flown.
Lonely? Aye! The country's remnant clings together round the fire
While the choicest sons of Britain fall in fighting Hell's desire.
While the choicest sons of Britain fall in fighting Hell's desire.
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They were all content to perish, dying each that Death may die,
Freedom's march of freedom hindered while she fights to save a lie.
Freedom's march of freedom hindered while she fights to save a lie.
Still we keep the narrow foreheads, and the gilded royal fools,
While they strew the earth with sorrow, using us to be their tools.
While they strew the earth with sorrow, using us to be their tools.
We had gained for us a freedom that had left the world aghast,
But the course of Time swerved backwards, in the Present as the Past.
But the course of Time swerved backwards, in the Present as the Past.
Backward, ere we reached the summit, in a sickening, streaming curve,
Leaving us our ruined labours, and a palsied shattered nerve.
Leaving us our ruined labours, and a palsied shattered nerve.
When our laughter reached its loudest o'er the laurels we had won
Broke upon us war, and rapine, Hell's high priest, the cultured Hun.
Broke upon us war, and rapine, Hell's high priest, the cultured Hun.
Now the Gods of War are reigning where the court of Peace was full,
And the battle rages fiercer after each momentary lull.
And the battle rages fiercer after each momentary lull.
Gone are all the old companions of the Summers long ago,
Gone like mists of early morning in the noon-day's lurid glow.
Gone like mists of early morning in the noon-day's lurid glow.
Gone the comrades of our schooldays to the quarters of the sun,
Living some, and some are dying, some the final rest have won.
Living some, and some are dying, some the final rest have won.
And the heathen we despised for his relation to the beast,
Of the myriad lives of nature nigh the least among the least;
Of the myriad lives of nature nigh the least among the least;
For the carnage of his feastings, for his rites and narrow aims,
He can strip us our refinement, trample on our noble claims.
He can strip us our refinement, trample on our noble claims.
It is lowering to his level as we offer day by day
These the fairest of our children that our sin may pass away;
These the fairest of our children that our sin may pass away;
And the gods, whose righteous anger has provoked this punishment,
But the best will soothe their anger and procure its banishment.
But the best will soothe their anger and procure its banishment.
Truth is almost Truth no longer; Goodness sorely wounded lies;
Hate and Envy feed on Knowledge; Wisdom pleading, pleading, dies.
Hate and Envy feed on Knowledge; Wisdom pleading, pleading, dies.
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Tiger madness is not muzzled, serpent passion is not slain,
Nature reels for man has fallen, fallen backward once again;
Nature reels for man has fallen, fallen backward once again;
All the evils of dark ages clothed within a fresh disguise
Fly against our sun, and darken o'er our lightened skies.
Fly against our sun, and darken o'er our lightened skies.
What is left then of our temples? What of hope is left for man?
Sunk again in primal passion, vice, corruption in the clan?
Sunk again in primal passion, vice, corruption in the clan?
Now while Death seem lord and master, Goodness stricken, and Love dead,
Hope shall glimmer thro' the darkness and the Gods of War be fled;
Hope shall glimmer thro' the darkness and the Gods of War be fled;
She shall fold us round with pity, linger with us to the last,
Comrade of a fairer Future, comrade through a darkened Past;
Comrade of a fairer Future, comrade through a darkened Past;
Far beyond the lawless striving, far beneath the sin and shame,
Lingers yet the spark immortal, glimmers yet th' eternal flame:
Lingers yet the spark immortal, glimmers yet th' eternal flame:
Hope is still the Heaven's high priestess, and a newer world shall rise
After all the shame and sorrow, under fairer purer skies.
After all the shame and sorrow, under fairer purer skies.
| Songs in the Whirlwind | |