dots-menu
×

Home  »  Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse  »  From House to Home

Henry Charles Beeching, ed. (1859–1919). Lyra Sacra: A Book of Religious Verse. 1903.

By Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830–1894)

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.