Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Of her great anguish, for delivery
From travail groaning, with the appetence
For Being which alone is found in Thee!
Arm of the Lord! awake; and Recompence,
And from the Captive take corruption off,
And let the year of Liberty commence.
Arm of the Lord! awake; unweave the woof
Of controversy, make the Truth appear,
And bring the Adversary to the proof!
Come to the Valley of Decision!—hear,
And reconcile the contraries of strife;
Come, Mediator! come, Deliverer!
Bestower and Restorer of all Life!"

The Son of Sirach thus sums up the Song:

"The Memory of famous men is rife,

And redolent through ages late and long

The Lord by them hath wrought great glory, through

His power from the beginning, men among.

Such as bear rule in realms, and bravely do,
Are wise in council, sure in prophecy;

The eloquent, the active, and the true.

The skilled in musick, and the subtlety

Of numerous verse; rich men and graced with mind,
Abiding in their dwellings peaceably.

The Glory of their times, they leave behind
A honourable name; their righteousness
Shall never be forgotten by their kind.
Their Children shall continue, and possess
A heritage for aye, and dwell in peace;
Dying, they live: so Wisdom flourishes.
For as the herald Star is each of these,
Seen 'midst a cloud in morn's prophetic hour;
And as the Moon at full is his increase;
As the Sun shining from his highest tower
Upon the Temple of his God and King;
And as the Bow between the sun and shower;
And as the Flower of Roses in the Spring,
The Lilies by the Streams; the Branches free
Of Frankincense in Summer foliaging;
A Cedar amidst Palms; an Olive-tree
Budding forth fruit, and as a Cypress rare
That groweth to the Clouds.. E'en such is He.
Oh! Truth abideth with him every where;
And lovely is her brow, albeit too bright
For earthly eye, she veil her aspect fair,

I

Lest bold vain men be blasted with its light,
Beneath a diverse visage, now austere
Now lovely, suited to the gazer's sight.

He who upon her naked face might bear
To look, would know her heavenly and divine,
And Deity itself in her revere-

Thy Soul, oh Man! is her especial shrine;

There find her, thou unto thyself shalt wake, And to thy God; for Heaven is her's and thine: Seek her in youth, nor yet in age forsake."

XII.

ADA M.

As from a Throne, on the Hill's crested brow,
Sublime, the Father of Mankind addressed

His Children, to his voice attentive now.

"God made not Death;..but what He made He blest,
And, that they might have being, did decree
Undying Health, and unrevolving Rest.
Nor is Death's kingdom on the Earth, for me
God made immortal as His righteousness,
An image of His own eternity,

Whose Generations die not nor increase,
But are for ever; hence, in every place
And time, apparent, thorough all degrees.

Paternal Love! of old I loved Thy face,

When dwelt Thy Word with Man, and was the Law
Of Wisdom to the Soul. In Thine embrace
I blessedly reposed, and Vision saw
Of Excellence whereunto I uplooked,
And Beauty that attracted with its awe.
Author of Beauty! free and unrebuked,

I communed with Thy glory, and my heart
Rejoiced in Thee;.. and Thou its homage brooked.
For Thou as merciful as mighty art!

Before Thee the huge World is as a grain
Of sand beside the ocean-yea, its chart
Of vale and mountain, firmament and main,
Is as a globule of the morning dew
That drops upon the earth its tiny rain.

And who shall question Thee, or judge Thee who?
For Thou art God alone, and on Thy Power

All Righteousness and Justice must ensue.

But, mastering Thine omnipotence, broods o'er

All Thy Creation Mercy uncreate,

For Thou createdst all, and shalt restore.

Father! Thy love to men shall not abate

Thou will'st, they are; Thou speakst, and they endureLover of Souls! so they reciprocate.

« AnteriorContinuar »