Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.
By Christina Georgina Rossetti (18301894)From House to Home
THEN earth and heaven were rolled up like a scroll; | |
Time and space, change and death, had passed away; | |
Weight, number, measure, each had reached its whole; | |
The day had come, that day. | |
Multitudes—multitudes—stood up in bliss, | 5 |
Made equal to the angels, glorious, fair; | |
With harps, palms, wedding-garments, kiss of peace, | |
And crowned and haloed hair. | |
They sang a song, a new song in the height, | |
Harping with harps to Him who is strong and true: | 10 |
They drank new wine, their eyes saw with new light, | |
Lo, all things were made new. | |
Tier beyond tier they rose and rose and rose | |
So high that it was dreadful, flames with flames: | |
No man could number them, no tongue disclose | 15 |
Their secret sacred names. | |
As though one pulse stirred all, one rush of blood | |
Fed all, one breath swept through them myriad-voiced, | |
They struck their harps, cast down their crowns, they stood | |
And worshipped and rejoiced. | 20 |
Each face looked one way like a moon new-lit, | |
Each face looked one way towards its Sun of Love; | |
Drank love, and bathed in love, and mirrored it, | |
And knew no end thereof. | |
Glory touched glory on each blessèd head, | 25 |
Hands locked dear hands never to sunder more, | |
These were the new-begotten from the dead | |
Whom the great birthday bore. | |
Heart answered heart, soul answered soul at rest | |
Double against each other, filled, sufficed: | 30 |
All loving, loved of all; but loving best | |
And best beloved of Christ. | |