Where racks and torments strived, in vain, to reach Thee. Little, alas thought they Who tore the fair breasts of Thy friends, Their fury but made way For Thee, and served them in Thy glorious ends. More freely to transpire That impatient fire, The heart that hides Thee hardly covers? What did their weapons but set wide the doors Of Thy so oft-repeated rising! Each wound of theirs was Thy new morning, And re-enthroned Thee in Thy rosy nest, With blush of Thine Own blood Thy day adorning : It was the wit of Love o'erflow'd the bounds Of Wrath, and made Thee way through all those wounds. Welcome, dear, all-adorèd Name! For sure there is no knee That knows not Thee: Or, if there be such sons of shame, When stubborn rocks shall bow And hills hang down their heaven-saluting heads Of dust, where in the bashful shades of Night Next to their own low Nothing, they may lie, And couch before the dazzling light of Thy dread majesty. They that by Love's mild dictate now Will not adore Thee, Shall then, with just confusion bow And break before Thee. :0: In the holy Nativity of our Lord God: A HYMN SUNG AS BY THE SHEPHERDS. THE HYMN. Chorus. OME, we shepherds, whose blest sight Hath met Love's noon in Nature's night; Come, lift we up our loftier song, And wake the sun that lies too long. To all our world of well-stolen joy He slept; and dreamt of no such thing. And kissed the cradle of our King. Tell Him he rises now, too late To show us aught worth looking at. Tell him we now can show him more 'Than he e'er show'd to mortal sight; Than he himself e'er saw before, Which to be seen needs not his light. Tell him, Tityrus, where th' hast been, Tell him, Thyrsis, what th' hast seen. TITYRUS. Gloomy night embraced the place Where the noble Infant lay. The Babe looked up and showed His face; In spite of darkness, it was day. It was Thy day, Sweet! and did rise, Not from the East, but from Thine eyes. Chorus. It was Thy day, Sweet. THYRSIS. Winter chid aloud, and sent The angry North to wage his wars. By those sweet eyes' persuasive powers, BOTH. We saw Thee in Thy balmy-nest, Young dawn of our eternal Day! We saw Thine eyes break from their East, And chase the trembling shades away. TITYRUS. Poor world (said I), what wilt thou do Is this the best thou canst bestow? THYRSIS. Proud world, said I, cease your contest, And let the mighty Babe alone. The phoenix builds the phoenix' nest, Love's architecture is his own. The Babe whose birth embraves this morn, Made His Own bed ere He was born. Chorus.-The Babe whose. TITYRUS. I saw the curled drops, soft and slow, Come hovering o'er the place's head; Offering their whitest sheets of snow To furnish the fair Infant's bed: Forbear, said I; be not too bold, Your fleece is white, but 'tis too cold. Chorus.-Forbear, said I. THYRSIS. I saw the obsequious Seraphims Their rosy fleece of fire bestow, 17 For well they now can spare their wing, Since Heaven itself lies here below. Well done, said I; but are you sure Your down so warm, will pass for pure? Chorus. Well done, said I. TITYRUS. No, no! your King's not yet to seek Where to repose His royal head; See, see, how soon His new-bloom'd cheek 'Twixt 's mother's breasts is gone to bed. Sweet choice, said we! no way but so Not to lie cold, yet sleep in snow. Chorus. Sweet choice, said we. Вотн. We saw Thee in Thy balmy nest, Bright dawn of our eternal Day! We saw Thine eyes break from their East, And chase the trembling shades away. We saw Thee and we blest the sight, We saw Thee by Thine Own sweet light. Welcome, all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span! Summer in Winter, Day in Night! Heaven in Earth, and God in man! |