178. Sunrise

LOOK, O blinded eyes and burning,

Think, O heart amazed with yearning,

Is it yet beyond thine earning,

That delight that was thine all?—

Wilful eyes and undiscerning,

Heart ashamed of bitter learning,

It is flown beyond returning,

It is lost beyond recall.

Who with prayers has overtaken

Those glad hours when he would waken

To the sound of branches shaken

By an early song and wild,—

When the golden leaves would flicker,

And the loving thoughts come thicker,

And the thrill of life beat quicker

In the sweet heart of the child?

Yet my soul, tho’ thou forsake her,

Shall adore thee, till thou take her,

In the morning, O my Maker,

For thine oriflamme unfurled:

For the lambs beneath their mothers

For the bliss that is another’s,

For the beauty of my brothers,

For the wonder of the world.

From above us and from under,

In the ocean and the thunder,

Thou preludest to the wonder

Of the Paradise to be:

For a moment we may guess thee

From thy creatures that confess thee

When the morn and even bless thee,

And thy smile is on the sea.

Then from something seen or heard,

Whether forests softly stirred,

Or the speaking of a word,

Or the singing of a bird,

Cares and sorrows cease:

For a moment on the soul

Falls the rest that maketh whole,

Falls the endless peace.

O the hush from earth’s annoys!

O the heaven, O the joys

Such as priest and singing-boys

Cannot sing or say!

There is no more pain and crying,

There is no more death and dying,

As for sorrow and for sighing,—

These shall flee away.

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