As hearts that lowlier live
With light of thoughts that give
Light from the depth of souls more deep than they
Through song’s or story’s kindling scroll,
The splendour of the shadow that reveals the soul.
XXIII.
For, when such light is in the world, we share,
All of us, all the rays thereof that shine:
Its presence is alive in the unseen air,
Its fire within our veins as quickening
wine;
A spirit is shed on all men everywhere,
Known or not known of all men for divine.
Yea, as the sun makes heaven, that light makes fair
All souls of ours, all lesser souls than
thine,
Priest, prophet,
seer and sage,
Lord of a subject
age
That bears thy seal upon it for a sign;
Whose name shall
be thy name,
Whose light thy
light of fame,
The light of love that makes thy soul
a shrine;
Whose record through all years
to be
Shall bear this witness written—that its
womb bare thee.
XXIV.
O mystery, whence to one man’s hand was given
Power upon all things of the spirit, and
might
Whereby the veil of all the years was riven
And naked stood the secret soul of night!
O marvel, hailed of eyes whence cloud is driven,
That shows at last wrong reconciled with
right
By death divine of evil and sin forgiven!
O light of song, whose fire is perfect
light!
No speech, no
voice, no thought,
No love, avails
us aught
For service of thanksgiving in his sight
Who hath given
us all for ever
Such gifts that
man gave never
So many and great since first Time’s
wings took flight.
Man may not praise a spirit
above
Man’s: life and death shall praise him:
we can only love.
XXV.
Life, everlasting while the worlds endure,
Death, self-abased before a power more
high,
Shall bear one witness, and their word stand sure,
That not till time be dead shall this
man die
Love, like a bird, comes loyal to his lure;
Fame flies before him, wingless else to
fly.
A child’s heart toward his kind is not more
pure,
An eagle’s toward the sun no lordlier
eye.
Awe sweet as love
and proud
As fame, though
hushed and bowed,
Yearns toward him silent as his face goes
by:
All crowns before
his crown
Triumphantly bow
down,
For pride that one more great than all
draws nigh:
All souls applaud, all hearts
acclaim,
One heart benign, one soul supreme, one conquering
name.