Ah me! in ages far away, The good, the heavenly land, Though unbeheld, quite near them lay,
Babe Jesus lay in Mary's lap, The sun shone in his hair; And this was how she saw, mayhap,
When the clock hath ceased to tick Soul-like in the gloomy hall; When the latch no more doth click
A child was born in sin and shame, Wronged by his very birth, Without a home, without a name,
When God's own child came down to earth, High heaven was very glad; The angels sang for holy mirth;
My gift would find thee fast asleep, And arise a dream in thee; A violet sky o'er the roll and sweep
Rose o' my hert, Open yer leaves to the lampin mune; Into the curls lat her keek an' dert,
Everything goes to its rest; The hills are asleep in the noon; And life is as still in its nest
Thou who mad'st the mighty clock Of the great world go; Mad'st its pendulum swing and rock,
I would I were an angel strong, An angel of the sun, hasting along! I would I were just come awake,
I dinna ken what's come ower me! There's a how whaur ance was a hert! I never luik oot afore me,
I Thank Thee, boundless Giver, That the thoughts Thou givest flow In sounds that like a river
The monk was praying in his cell, And he did pray full sore; He had been praying on his knees
The monk was praying in his cell, With bowed head praying sore; He had been praying on his knees
Are the leaves falling round about The churchyard on the hill? Is the glow of autumn going out?
I am a bubble Upon thy ever-moving, resting sea: Oh, rest me now from tossing, trespass, trouble!
Came of old to houses lonely Men with wings, but did not show them: Angels come to our house, only,
If in my arms I bore my child, Would he cry out for fear Because the night was dark and wild
As Jesus went into Jericho town, Twas darkness all, from toe to crown, About blind Bartimeus.
Close her eyes: she must not peep! Let her little puds go slack; Slide away far into sleep:
Though in my heart no Christmas glee, Though my song-bird be dumb, Jesus, it is enough for me
Wash the window; rub it dry; Make the ray-door clean and bright: He who lords it in the sky
Come unto me, the Master says:-- But how? I am not good; No thankful song my heart will raise,
When the snow is on the earth Birds and waters cease their mirth; When the sunlight is prevailing
'Tis the midnight hour; I heard The Abbey-bell give out the word. Seldom is the lamp-ray shed
A Symbol. [Sidenote: He looks from his window on the midnight town.] 'Tis the midnight hour; I heard
If I might guess, then guess I would That, mid the gathered folk, This gentle Dorcas one day stood,
Dark, as if it would not tell, Lies the water, still and cool: Dip the bucket in the well,
O God, whose daylight leadeth down Into the sunless way, Who with restoring sleep dost crown
Farewell, O Arm of the Lord! Man who hated the sword, Yet struck and spared not the thing abhorred!
Waking in the night to pray, Sleeping when the answer comes, Foolish are we even at play--
Whan Andrew frae Strathbogie gaed The lift was lowerin dreary, The sun he wadna raise his heid,
Little one, you must not fret That I take your clothes away; Better sleep you so will get,
Greitna, father, that I'm gauin, For fu' well ye ken the gaet; I' the winter, corn ye're sawin,
The warl it's dottit wi' hames As thick as gowans o' the green, Aye bonnier ilk ane nor the lave
An unborn bird lies crumpled and curled, A-dreaming of the world. Round it, for castle-wall, a shell
"Where is thy crown, O tree of Love? Flowers only bears thy root! Will never rain drop from above
What gars ye sing sae, birdie, As gien ye war lord o' the lift? On breid ye're an unco sma' lairdie,
I know what beauty is, for thou Hast set the world within my heart; Of me thou madest it a part;
Of the poor bird that cannot fly Kindly you think and mournfully; For prisoners and for exiles all
As to her child a mother calls, "Come to me, child; come near!" Calling, in silent intervals,
I. There breathes not a breath of the morning air, But the spirit of Love is moving there;
I have an elfish maiden child; She is not two years old; Through windy locks her eyes gleam wild,
Lost the little one roams about, Pathway or shelter none can find; Blinking stars are coming out;
Love alone is great in might, Makes the heavy burden light, Smooths rough ways to weary feet,
"They have no more wine!" she said. But they had enough of bread; And the vessels by the door
"WHO is this little one lying," Said Time, "at my garden-gate, Moaning and sobbing and crying,
The stars are steady abune; I' the water they flichter and flee; But, steady aye, luikin doon
O Lord of life, thy quickening voice Awakes my morning song! In gladsome words I would rejoice
Why dost thou want to sing When thou hast no song, my heart? If there be in thee a hidden spring,
'Tis a little room, my friend; A baby-walk from end to end; All the things look sadly real,
Trust him in the common light; Trust him in the awesome night; Trust him when the earth doth quake:
Oh that a wind would call From the depths of the leafless wood! Oh that a voice would fall
Her mother, Elfie older grown, One evening, for adieu, Said, "You'll not mind being left alone,
Heart, thou must learn to do without-- That is the riches of the poor, Their liberty is to endure;
Strait is the path? He means we must not roam? Yes; but the strait path leads into a boundless home.
Oh! is it Death that comes To have a foretaste of the whole? To-night the planets and the stars
With us there is no gray fearing, With us no aching for lack! For the morn it is always nearing,
Inscribed to S.F.S. And there I found him whom I went to find, A man of noble make and head uplift,
Grief held me silent in my seat; I neither moved nor smiled: Joy held her silent at my feet,
"Traveller, what lies over the hill? Traveller, tell to me: Tip-toe-high on the window-sill
Heavily slumbered noonday bright Upon the lone field, glory-dight, A burnished grassy sea:
Heavily lay the warm sunlight Upon the green blades shining bright, An outspread grassy sea:
The infant lies in blessed ease Upon his mother's breast; No storm, no dark, the baby sees
To give a thing and take again Is counted meanness among men; To take away what once is given
From off the earth the vapours curled, Went up to meet their joy; The boy awoke, and all the world
Behind my father's house there lies A little grassy brae, Whose face my childhood's busy feet
Ah, holy midnight of the soul, When stars alone are high; When winds are resting at their goal,
Of old, with goodwill from the skies, The holy angels came; They walked the earth with human eyes,
In the air why such a ringing? On the earth why such a droning? In the air the lark is singing;
"O lat me in, my bonny lass! It's a lang road ower the hill, And the flauchterin snaw begud to fa'
"Thou wanderest in the land of dreams, O man of many songs! To thee what is, but looks and seems;
A Part Of The Story Omitted In The Old Romances. I. How sir Galahad despaired of finding the Grail.
The thousand streets of London gray Repel all country sights; But bar not winds upon their way,
'Tis time to sleep, my little boy: Why gaze thy bright eyes so? At night our children, for new joy
My little child receives my gift, A simple piece of bread; But to her mouth she doth not lift
There cam a man to oor toon-en', And a waesome carl was he, Snipie-nebbit, and crookit-mou'd,
When things are holding wonted pace In wonted paths, without a trace Or hint of neighbouring wonder,
They are blind, and they are dead: We will wake them as we go; There are words have not been said,
Make not of thy heart a casket, Opening seldom, quick to close; But of bread a wide-mouthed basket,
As I was walkin on the strand, I spied ane auld man sit On ane auld black rock; and aye the waves
A fresh young voice that sings to me So often many a simple thing, Should surely not unanswered be
If I did seem to you no more Than to myself I seem, Not thus you would fling wide the door,
Go not forth to call Dame Sorrow From the dim fields of Tomorrow; Let her roam there all unheeded,
To God and man be simply true: Do as thou hast been wont to do: Or, Of the old more in the new:
The sun is sinking in the west, Long grow the shadows dim; Have patience, sister, to be blest,
The silence of traitorous feet! The silence of close-pent rage! The roar, and the sudden heart-beat!
Men sought, ambition's thirst to slake, The lost elixir old Whose magic touch should instant make
I. Take of the first fruits, Father, of thy care, Wrapped in the fresh leaves of my gratitude
Dead, why defend thee, who in life For thy worst foe hadst died; Who, thy own name a word of strife,
Lord, keep us by thy word in hope, And check the murder of Turk and Pope, Who Jesus Christ, thine only Son,
A new song here shall be begun-- The Lord God help our singing!-- Of what our God himself hath done,
Christ Jesus, our Redeemer born, Who from us did God's anger turn Through his sufferings sore and main
Dear Christians, let us now rejoice, And dance in joyous measure; That, of good cheer, and with one voice,
Her, the worthy maid, my heart doth hold, And I shall not forget her. Praise, honour, virtue of her are told;
From heaven high I come to you, I bring a story good and new: Of goodly news so much I bring,
Praised be thou, O Jesus Christ, That a man on earth thou liest! Born of a maiden--it is true--
To Jordan when our Lord had gone, His Father's pleasure willing, He took his baptism of St. John,
Herod, why dreadest thou a foe Because the Christ comes born below? He seeks no mortal kingdom thus,
Were God not with us all the time-- Israel may loud declare it-- Were God not with us all the time,
Our Father in the heaven who art, Who tellest all of us, in heart Brothers to be, and on thee call,
The first Choir.--Lord God, thee praise do we. The second Choir.--Lord, we give thanks to thee. 1. Thee, Father, eternal God,
Bands of dark and bands of light Lie athwart the homeward way; Now we cross a belt of Night,
Doon frae Jerus'lem a traveller took The laigh road to Jericho; It had an ill name an' mony a crook,