Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Christina Georgina Rossetti. 18301894784. Passing Away
PASSING away, saith the World, passing away: | |
Chances, beauty and youth sapp’d 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 answer’d: Yea. | |
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 answer’d: Yea. | |
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 answer’d: Yea. |