名人诗歌|THE HYMN

While the heaven-born Child

All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies；

Nature in awe^{1 to Him}

Had doff'd her gaudy^{2 trim}

With her great Master so to sympathize：

It was no season then for her

To wanton with the sun her lusty paramour.

only with speeches fair

She woos the gentle air

To hide her guilty front with innocent snow；

And on her naked shame

Pollute with sinful blame

The saintly veil of maiden^{3 #CCCCFF to throw；}

Confounded that her Maker's eyes

Should look so near upon her foul^{4 deformities.}

But He her fears to cease

Sent down the meek-eyed Peace；

She crown'd with olive green came softly sliding

Down through the turning sphere

His ready harbinger

With turtle wing the amorous^{5 clouds piding；}

And waving wide her myrtle wand

She strikes a universal peace through sea and land.

No war or battle's sound

Was heard the world around：

The idle spear and shield were high uphung；

The hookd chariot stood

Unstain'd with hostile blood；

The trumpet^{8 spake not to the armd throng9；}

And kings sat still with awful eye

As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.

But peaceful was the night

Wherein the Prince of Light

His reign^{10 of peace upon the earth began：}

The winds with wonder whist

Smoothly^{11 the waters kist}

Whispering new joys to the mild ocen

Who now hath quite forgot to rave⁶

While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmd wave.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fix'd in steadfast^{13 gaze}

Bending one way their precious influence；

And will not take their flight

For all the morning light

Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence；

But in their glimmering^{14 orbs15 did glow}

Until their Lord Himself bespake and bid them go.

And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room

The sun himself withheld^{16 his wonted speed}

And hid his head for shame

As his inferior flame

The new-enlighten'd world no more should need；

He saw a greater Sun appear

Than his bright throne or burning axle-tree could bear.

The shepherds on the lawn

Or ere the point of dawn

Sate^{17 simply chatting in a rustic18 row；}

Full little thought they than

That the mighty^{19 Pan}

Was kindly^{20 come to live with them below；}

Perhaps their loves or else their sheep

Was all that did their silly thoughts so busy keep：

When such music sweet

Their hearts and ears did greet

As never was by mortal finger strook

Divinely-warbled voice

Answering the stringd noise

As all their souls in blissful rapture^{22 took：}

The air such pleasure loth to lose

With thousand echoes still prolongs each heavenly close.

Nature that heard such sound

Beneath the hollow round

Of Cynthia's seat the airy region thrilling

Now was almost won

To think her part was done

And that her reign had here its last fulfilling；

She knew such harmony alone

Could hold all Heaven and Earth in happier union.

At last surrounds their sight

A globe of circular light

That with long beams the shamefaced night array'd；

The helmd Cherubim

And sworded Seraphim²³

Are seen in glittering ranks with wings display'd

Harping^{24 in loud and solemn quire}

With unexpressive notes to Heaven's new-born Heir.

Such music （as 'tis said）

Before was never made

But when of old the Sons of Morning sung

While the Creator great

His constellations^{25 set}

And the well-balanced world on hinges hung；

And cast the dark foundations deep

And bid the weltering waves their oozy^{26 channel keep.}

Ring out ye crystal spheres！

once bless our human ears

If ye have power to touch our senses so；

And let your silver chime

Move in melodious^{27 time；}

And let the bass^{28 of heaven's deep organ blow；}

And with your ninefold harmony

Make up full consort^{29 to the angelic symphony.}

For if such holy song

Enwrap our fancy long

Time will run back and fetch the age of gold；

And speckled Vanity

Will sicken soon and die

And leprous Sin will melt from earthly mould；

And Hell itself will pass away

And leave her dolorous^{30 mansions31 to the peering day.}

Yea Truth and Justice then

Will down return to men

Orb'd in a rainbow； and like glories wearing

Mercy will sit between

Throned in celestial^{32 sheen}

With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering^33；

And Heaven as at some festival

Will open wide the gates of her high palace-hall.

But wisest Fate says No；

This must not yet be so；

The Babe yet lies in smiling infancy³⁴

That on the bitter cross

Must redeem^{35 our loss；}

So both Himself and us to glorify^36：

Yet first to those ychain'd in sleep

The wakeful trump^{7 of doom37 must thunder through the deep；}

With such a horrid^{38 clang}

As on Mount Sinai rang

While the red fire and smouldering clouds outbrake：

The aged^{39 Earth aghast}

With terror of that blast

Shall from the surface to the centre shake

When at the world's last sessin

The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread His throne.

And then at last our bliss²¹

Full and perfect is

But now begins； for from this happy day

The old Dragon under ground

In straiter limits bound

Not half so far casts his usurpd sway；

And wroth to see his kingdom fail

Swinges the scaly^{41 horror of his folded tail.}

The Oracles^{42 are dumb；}

No voice or hideous^{43 hum}

Runs through the archd roof in words deceiving.

Apollo from his shrine⁴⁴

Can no more pine

With hollow shriek^{45 the steep of Delphos leaving：}

No nightly trance or breathd spell

Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

The lonely mountains o'er

And the resounding^{46 shore}

A voice of weeping heard and loud lament^47；

From haunted spring and dale

Edged with poplar pale

The parting Genius is with sighing sent；

With flower-inwoven tresses torn

The Nymphs in twilight^{48 shade of tangled49 thickets50 mourn.}

In consecrated^{51 earth}

And on the holy hearth⁵²

The Lars and Lemurs moan with midnight plaint；

In urns^{53 and altars round}

A drear and dying sound

Affrights the Flamens at their service quaint^54；

And the chill marble seems to sweat

While each peculiar^{55 Power foregoes his wonted seat.}

Peor and Baalim

Forsake^{56 their temples dim}

With that twice-batter'd god of Palestine；

And moond Ashtaroth

Heaven's queen and mother both

Now sits not girt with tapers^{57' holy shine；}

The Lybic Hammon shrinks his horn：

In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded Thammuz mourn.

And sullen^{58 Moloch fled}

Hath left in shadows dread⁴⁰

His burning idol^{59 all of #CCCCFFest hue60；}

In vain with cymbals^{61' ring}

They call the grisly king

In dismal^{62 dance about the furnace blue；}

The brutish gods of Nile as fast

Isis and Orus and the dog Anubis haste.

Nor is Osiris seen

In Memphian grove^{63 or green}

Trampling^{64 the unshower'd grass with lowings loud：}

Nor can he be at rest

Within his sacred chest；

Nought^{65 but profoundest Hell can be his shroud66；}

In vain with timbrell'd anthems^{67 dark}

The sable-stold sorcerers bear his worshipt ark.

He feels from Juda's land

The dreaded^{68 Infant's hand；}

The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn；

Nor all the gods beside

Longer dare abide⁶⁹

Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine^70：

Our Babe to show His Godhead true

Can in His swaddling bands control the damnd crew.

So when the sun in bed

Curtain'd with cloudy red

Pillows his chin upon an orient wave

The flocking shadows pale

Troop to the infernal jail

Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave；

And the blue-skirted fays

Fly after the night-steeds leaving their moon-loved maze^12.

But see！ the Virgin^{71 blest}

Hath laid her Babe to rest；

Time is our tedious song should here have ending：

Heaven's youngest-teemdstar

Hath fix'd her polish'd car

Her sleeping Lord with hand-maid lamp attending：

And all about the courtly stable

Bright-harness'd Angels sit in order serviceable.