Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
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PASSING 1 away, saith the World, passing away: | |
Chances, beauty, and youth sapped day by day: | |
Thy life never continueth in one stay. | |
Is the eye waxen dim, is the dark hair changing to gray | |
That hath won neither laurel nor bay? | 5 |
I shall clothe myself in spring and bud in May: | |
Thou, root-stricken, shalt not rebuild thy decay | |
On my bosom for aye. | |
Then I answered: Yea. | |
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Passing away, saith my Soul, passing away, | 10 |
With its burden of fear and hope, of labour and play; | |
Hearken what the past doth witness and say: | |
Rust in thy gold, a moth is in thine array, | |
A canker is in thy bud, thy leaf must decay. | |
At midnight, at cockcrow, at morning, one certain day, | 15 |
Lo, the Bridegroom shall come and shall not delay: | |
Watch thou and pray. | |
Then I answered: Yea. | |
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Passing away, saith my God, passing away: | |
Winter passeth after the long delay: | 20 |
New grapes on the vine, new figs on the tender spray, | |
Turtle calleth turtle in Heaven’s May. | |
Though I tarry, wait for Me, trust Me, watch and pray. | |
Arise, come away, night is past, and lo, it is day, | |
My love, My sister, My spouse, thou shalt hear Me say. | 25 |
Then I answered: Yea. | |