 | The hours of the passion and other poems |  |
106
MISERICORDIA
WRITTEN FOR THE GUILD OF ST. BARNABAS FOR NURSES
The birds spake one to another;
But all their speech was sung;—
Speech understood in Eden;
They have not lost its tongue,
And keep the kingdom of the air
As when the earth was young.
But all their speech was sung;—
Speech understood in Eden;
They have not lost its tongue,
And keep the kingdom of the air
As when the earth was young.
Each bird did utter its sweet note
Unto its mate alone;
And one did speak and one reply,
Of those whom they had known;
The nested branches thrilled with low
Love-language of their own.
Unto its mate alone;
And one did speak and one reply,
Of those whom they had known;
The nested branches thrilled with low
Love-language of their own.
The cuckoo calls,—‘I have come back,
The spring comes back with me,
O meadow, bright with fairy flight
Of children sweet to see,
And little hands with cuckoo flowers
Filled, as it used to be!’
The spring comes back with me,
O meadow, bright with fairy flight
Of children sweet to see,
And little hands with cuckoo flowers
Filled, as it used to be!’
107
‘I see a field, a field of flowers,
An empty field, alas!
The daisies and the clovers bloom,
And the dark vernal-grass;
But never do the lovely heads,
And little footsteps pass.’
An empty field, alas!
The daisies and the clovers bloom,
And the dark vernal-grass;
But never do the lovely heads,
And little footsteps pass.’
The blackbird singeth all the year,
Summer and winter through;
When others seek a golden air,
His heart to home is true;
And tender fall his notes, as fall
From heaven the drops of dew.
Summer and winter through;
When others seek a golden air,
His heart to home is true;
And tender fall his notes, as fall
From heaven the drops of dew.
‘O lovely, growing girls and boys,
In the green garden ways!
So wild and innocent, and one
With far-off angel gaze,
Taller and fairer than the rest,
Heart of the heavenly days.’
In the green garden ways!
So wild and innocent, and one
With far-off angel gaze,
Taller and fairer than the rest,
Heart of the heavenly days.’
‘A place is in the Chapel shown
Where once he used to sit;
The boys of England still are there,
His name is over it;
A Cross is in the Churchyard green,
And there his name is writ.’
Where once he used to sit;
The boys of England still are there,
His name is over it;
A Cross is in the Churchyard green,
And there his name is writ.’
O speak, and answer, nightingale!
Nightingale passionate,
Through shortest nights of all the year
That singest loud and late,
And now with sorrow quivering,
And now with joy elate.
Nightingale passionate,
Through shortest nights of all the year
That singest loud and late,
And now with sorrow quivering,
And now with joy elate.
108
‘Oh, summer hours on summer lawns,
A radiant group they played,
And rested merrily, and laughed,
Beneath the oak-tree's shade;
Into the morning-tide of life
Had entered man and maid.’
A radiant group they played,
And rested merrily, and laughed,
Beneath the oak-tree's shade;
Into the morning-tide of life
Had entered man and maid.’
‘Farewell! as forth from fatherland,
One to long exile goes:
What is his quest? Where labours he?
Or where does he repose?
How should we know? By Red Sea sands
The red flamingo knows.’
One to long exile goes:
What is his quest? Where labours he?
Or where does he repose?
How should we know? By Red Sea sands
The red flamingo knows.’
The wood-pigeon upon her nest
With her two nestlings sate;
Secure within her bower of green,
She heard her grey-winged mate;
And yet her voice, the ring-dove's voice,
Moaned as if desolate.
With her two nestlings sate;
Secure within her bower of green,
She heard her grey-winged mate;
And yet her voice, the ring-dove's voice,
Moaned as if desolate.
‘Where are the young brides beautiful,
And bridegrooms, gone away?
I heard the peal of wedding bells,
And all the world was gay;
With waving hands, and cheering crowds,
They went, and bright array.’
And bridegrooms, gone away?
I heard the peal of wedding bells,
And all the world was gay;
With waving hands, and cheering crowds,
They went, and bright array.’
‘I saw the bride upon her bed,
Still, still, by candle-light;
Her hands were folded on her breast
Above her robe of white;
It was the very robe she wore
Upon her marriage-night.’
Still, still, by candle-light;
Her hands were folded on her breast
Above her robe of white;
It was the very robe she wore
Upon her marriage-night.’
109
It matters not about the old—
It is the young who die;
They fall like field-flowers on the field
When mowing men come nigh;
So straight, and tall, and beautiful,
Then low at once they lie.
It is the young who die;
They fall like field-flowers on the field
When mowing men come nigh;
So straight, and tall, and beautiful,
Then low at once they lie.
The great crows sweep across the lawn,
Black in the sunshine's glare;
Their nest is in the elm-tree's top,
And boys will climb and dare
To take their brood, but none of them
Have ever reached it there.
Black in the sunshine's glare;
Their nest is in the elm-tree's top,
And boys will climb and dare
To take their brood, but none of them
Have ever reached it there.
‘Where is our youth, or noblest born?
Whom the great troopship bore
Out of our sight—he, all of them,
Glorious, though hearts were sore;
Our wings o'ershadow since that day
Some who have smiled no more.’
Whom the great troopship bore
Out of our sight—he, all of them,
Glorious, though hearts were sore;
Our wings o'ershadow since that day
Some who have smiled no more.’
‘Upon a dusty battle-field
Gather the birds of prey;
But war-worn soldiers underground
Hide the young face away;
And what besides is hidden there,
I see, but do not say.’
Gather the birds of prey;
But war-worn soldiers underground
Hide the young face away;
And what besides is hidden there,
I see, but do not say.’
Then low and faint, as if a breath
From far dominions stirred,
Yet whispering near and all around,
Were other voices heard,
In that same speech of Paradise
Used of the singing-bird.
From far dominions stirred,
Yet whispering near and all around,
Were other voices heard,
In that same speech of Paradise
Used of the singing-bird.
110
‘Oh, soft, soft, soft, those shining wings
That carried us, outspread!
And cool as lilies for the limbs
That burned on yonder bed;
But yet for very feebleness
Some words we left unsaid.
That carried us, outspread!
And cool as lilies for the limbs
That burned on yonder bed;
But yet for very feebleness
Some words we left unsaid.
‘We speak them now, lest we forget,
In our release at first,
Those sisters of our suffering,
Who tended us and nursed;
Who were our guardians and our friends,
When we were at the worst.
In our release at first,
Those sisters of our suffering,
Who tended us and nursed;
Who were our guardians and our friends,
When we were at the worst.
‘In all our pain and helplessness
To us they ministered;
They worked through hideous night and day
With helpful deed and word;
They ceased not from their comforting,
Although no thanks they heard.
To us they ministered;
They worked through hideous night and day
With helpful deed and word;
They ceased not from their comforting,
Although no thanks they heard.
‘Soft were their hands that tended us
Gently, the last of all;
Soft were their hearts, they wept as they
Dressed us for burial;
For we were near, we heard and saw
The tears that they let fall.
Gently, the last of all;
Soft were their hearts, they wept as they
Dressed us for burial;
For we were near, we heard and saw
The tears that they let fall.
‘We ask it for our youth foregone,
And for our dying woe:—
We did not falter from our cross,
O Lord, as Thou dost know,
We died in our appointed place,
When Thou wouldst have it so:—
And for our dying woe:—
We did not falter from our cross,
O Lord, as Thou dost know,
We died in our appointed place,
When Thou wouldst have it so:—
111
‘We ask Thee this for recompense,
And Thou wilt not refuse,—
Give back to them that charity
Which they to us did use:
Let these our nurses have from Thee
The best that Thou canst choose.
And Thou wilt not refuse,—
Give back to them that charity
Which they to us did use:
Let these our nurses have from Thee
The best that Thou canst choose.
‘Misericordia! for the world
Is misery at the best;
And miserable most who lie
All day, yet cannot rest;
Whose hidden nights of agony
By none but these are guessed.
Is misery at the best;
And miserable most who lie
All day, yet cannot rest;
Whose hidden nights of agony
By none but these are guessed.
‘Oh, strengthen them in service now!
And when they come to die,
Oh, soft for our sakes make the bed
In heaven whereon they lie;
And as they did to us below,
Be done to them on high!’
And when they come to die,
Oh, soft for our sakes make the bed
In heaven whereon they lie;
And as they did to us below,
Be done to them on high!’
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