Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Christina Rossetti

by Christina Rossetti

  And harmless lambs milkwhite beside their dams

  Frolic along, —

  Perfume and song and whiteness offering praise

  In humble, peaceful ways.

  Man’s high degree hath will and memory,

  Affection and desire;

  By loftier ways he mounts of prayer and praise,

  Fire unto fire,

  Deep unto deep responsive, height to height,

  Until he walk in white.

  A HOPE CAROL

  A night was near, a day was near;

  Between a day and night

  I heard sweet voices calling clear,

  Calling me:

  I heard a whirr of wing on wing,

  But could not see the sight;

  I long to see my birds that sing, —

  I long to see.

  Below the stars, beyond the moon,

  Between the night and day,

  I heard a rising falling tune

  Calling me:

  I long to see the pipes and strings

  Whereon such minstrels play;

  I long to see each face that sings, —

  I long to see.

  Today or may be not today,

  Tonight or not tonight;

  All voices that command or pray,

  Calling me,

  Shall kindle in my soul such fire,

  And in my eyes such light,

  That I shall see that heart’s desire

  I long to see.

  CHRISTMAS CAROLS

  WHOSO HEARS A CHIMING FOR CHRISTMAS AT THE NIGHEST

  Whoso hears a chiming for Christmas at the nighest,

  Hears a sound like Angels chanting in their glee,

  Hears a sound like palm-boughs waving in the highest,

  Hears a sound like ripple of a crystal sea.

  Sweeter than a prayer-bell for a saint in dying,

  Sweeter than a death-bell for a saint at rest,

  Music struck in Heaven with earth’s faint replying,

  “Life is good, and death is good, for Christ is Best.”

  A HOLY, HEAVENLY CHIME

  A holy, heavenly chime

  Rings fulness in of time,

  And on His Mother’s breast

  Our Lord God ever-Blest

  Is laid a Babe at rest.

  Stoop, Spirits unused to stoop,

  Swoop, Angels, flying swoop,

  Adoring as you gaze,

  Uplifting hymns of praise, —

  “Grace to the Full of Grace!”

  The cave is cold and strait

  To hold the angelic state.

  More strait it is, more cold,

  To foster and infold

  Its Maker one hour old.

  Thrilled through with awestruck love,

  Meek Angels poised above,

  To see their God look down.

  “What, is there never a Crown

  For Him in swaddled gown?

  “How comes He soft and weak

  With such a tender cheek,

  With such a soft, small hand? —

  The very Hand which spann’d

  Heaven when its girth was plann’d.

  “How comes He with a voice

  Which is but baby-noise? —

  That Voice which spake with might:

  ‘Let there be light!’ and light

  Sprang out before our sight.

  “What need hath He of flesh

  Made flawless now afresh?

  What need of human heart? —

  Heart that must bleed and smart,

  Choosing the better part.

  “But see: His gracious smile

  Dismisses us a while

  To serve Him in His kin.

  Haste we, make haste, begin

  To fetch His brethren in.”

  Like stars they flash and shoot,

  The Shepherds they salute.

  “Glory to God” they sing;

  “Good news of peace we bring,

  For Christ is born a King.”

  LO! NEWBORN JESUS

  Lo! newborn Jesus,

  Soft and weak and small,

  Wrapped in baby’s bands

  By His Mother’s hands,

  Lord God of all.

  Lord God of Mary,

  Whom His Lips caress

  While He rocks to rest

  On her milky breast

  In helplessness.

  Lord God of shepherds

  Flocking through the cold,

  Flocking through the dark

  To the only Ark,

  The only Fold.

  Lord God of all things,

  Be they near or far,

  Be they high or low;

  Lord of storm and snow,

  Angel and star.

  Lord God of all men, —

  My Lord and my God!

  Thou who lovest me,

  Keep me close to Thee

  By staff and rod.

  Lo! newborn Jesus,

  Loving great and small,

  Love’s free Sacrifice,

  Opening Arms and Eyes

  To one and all.

  A CANDLEMAS DIALOGUE

  “Love brought Me down; and cannot love make thee

  Carol for joy to Me?

  Hear cheerful robin carol from his tree,

  Who owes not half to Me

  I won for thee.”

  “Yea, Lord, I hear his carol’s wordless voice;

  And well may he rejoice

  Who hath not heard of death’s discordant noise.

  So might I too rejoice

  With such a voice.”

  “True, thou hast compassed death; but hast not thou

  The tree of life’s own bough?

  Am I not Life and Resurrection now?

  My Cross balm-bearing bough

  For such as thou?”

  “Ah me, Thy Cross! — but that seems far away;

  Thy Cradle-song today

  I too would raise, and worship Thee and pray:

  Not empty, Lord, today

  Send me away.”

  “If thou wilt not go empty, spend thy store;

  And I will give thee more,

  Yea, make thee ten times richer than before.

  Give more and give yet more

  Out of thy store.”

  “Because Thou givest me Thyself, I will

  Thy blessed word fulfil,

  Give with both hands, and hoard by giving still;

  Thy pleasure to fulfil,

  And work Thy Will.”

  MARY MAGDALENE AND THE OTHER MARY

  A SONG FOR ALL MARIES

  Our Master lies asleep and is at rest;

  His Heart has ceased to bleed, His Eye to weep.

  The sun ashamed has dropt down in the west;

  Our Master lies asleep.

  Now we are they who weep, and trembling keep

  Vigil, with wrung heart in a sighing breast,

  While slow time creeps, and slow the shadows creep.

  Renew Thy youth, as eagle from the nest;

  O Master, who hast sown, arise to reap:

  No cock-crow yet, no flush on eastern crest;

  Our Master lies asleep.

  PATIENCE OF HOPE

  The flowers that bloom in sun and shade

  And glitter in the dew,

  The flowers must fade.

  The birds that build their nest and sing

  When lovely spring is new,

  Must soon take wing.

  The sun that rises in his strength

  To wake and warm the world,

  Must set at length.

  The sea that overflows the shore

  With billows frothed and curled,

  Must ebb once more.

  All come and go, all wax and wane,

  O Lord, save only Thou

  Who dost remain

  The Same to all eternity.

  All things which fail us now

  We trust to Thee.

>   VERSES, 1893

  CONTENTS

  ALONE LORD GOD, IN WHOM OUR TRUST AND PEACE

  SEVEN VIALS HOLD THY WRATH: BUT WHAT CAN HOLD

  WHERE NEITHER RUST NOR MOTH DOTH CORRUPT

  AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS

  LORD, MAKE US ALL LOVE ALL: THAT WHEN WE MEET

  O LORD, I AM ASHAMED TO SEEK THY FACE

  IT IS NOT DEATH, O CHRIST, TO DIE FOR THEE

  LORD, GRANT US EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR

  CRIED OUT WITH TEARS

  O LORD, ON WHOM WE GAZE AND DARE NOT GAZE

  I WILL COME AND HEAL HIM

  AH LORD, LORD, IF MY HEART WERE RIGHT WITH THINE

  THE GOLD OF THAT LAND IS GOOD

  WEIGH ALL MY FAULTS AND FOLLIES RIGHTEOUSLY

  LORD, GRANT ME GRACE TO LOVE THEE IN MY PAIN

  LIGHT OF LIGHT

  THE RANSOMED OF THE LORD

  LORD, WE ARE RIVERS RUNNING TO THY SEA

  AN EXCEEDING BITTER CRY

  O LORD, WHEN THOU DIDST CALL ME, DIDST THOU KNOW

  THOU, GOD, SEEST ME

  LORD JESUS, WHO WOULD THINK THAT I AM THINE?

  THE NAME OF JESUS

  LORD GOD OF HOSTS, MOST HOLY AND MOST HIGH

  LORD, WHAT HAVE I THAT I MAY OFFER THEE?

  IF I SHOULD SAY “MY HEART IS IN MY HOME

  LEAF FROM LEAF CHRIST KNOWS

  LORD, CARRY ME. — NAY, BUT I GRANT THEE STRENGTH

  LORD, I AM HERE. — BUT, CHILD, I LOOK FOR THEE

  NEW CREATURES; THE CREATOR STILL THE SAME

  KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

  THY NAME, O CHRIST, AS INCENSE STREAMING FORTH

  THE GOOD SHEPHERD

  REJOICE WITH ME

  SHALL NOT THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH DO RIGHT?

  ME AND MY GIFT: KIND LORD, BEHOLD

  HE CANNOT DENY HIMSELF

  SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD

  LORD JESU, THOU ART SWEETNESS TO MY SOUL

  I, LORD, THY FOOLISH SINNER LOW AND SMALL

  BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US

  LORD, HAST THOU SO LOVED US, AND WILL NOT WE

  AS THE DOVE WHICH FOUND NO REST

  THOU ART FAIRER THAN THE CHILDREN OF MEN

  AS THE APPLE TREE AMONG THE TREES OF THE WOOD

  NONE OTHER LAMB, NONE OTHER NAME

  THY FRIEND AND THY FATHER’S FRIEND FORGET NOT

  SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS

  THEY TOIL NOT, NEITHER DO THEY SPIN

  DARKNESS AND LIGHT ARE BOTH ALIKE TO THEE

  AND NOW WHY TARRIEST THOU?

  HAVE I NOT STRIVEN, MY GOD, AND WATCHED AND PRAYED?

  GOD IS OUR HOPE AND STRENGTH

  DAY AND NIGHT THE ACCUSER MAKES NO PAUSE

  O MINE ENEMY

  LORD, DOST THOU LOOK ON ME, AND WILL NOT I

  PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU

  O CHRIST OUR ALL IN EACH, OUR ALL IN ALL!

  BECAUSE THY LOVE HATH SOUGHT ME

  THY FAINTING SPOUSE, YET STILL THY SPOUSE

  LIKE AS THE HART DESIRETH THE WATER BROOKS

  THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO

  JUDGE NOT ACCORDING TO THE APPEARANCE

  MY GOD, WILT THOU ACCEPT, AND WILL NOT WE

  A CHILL BLANK WORLD. YET OVER THE UTMOST SEA

  THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND

  ALONE LORD GOD, IN WHOM OUR TRUST AND PEACE

  Alone Lord God, in Whom our trust and peace,

  Our love and our desire, glow bright with hope;

  Lift us above this transitory scope

  Of earth, these pleasures that begin and cease,

  This moon which wanes, these seasons which decrease:

  We turn to Thee; as on an eastern slope

  Wheat feels the dawn beneath night’s lingering cope,

  Bending and stretching sunward ere it sees.

  Alone Lord God, we see not yet we know;

  By love we dwell with patience and desire,

  And loving so and so desiring pray;

  Thy will be done in earth as heaven today;

  As yesterday it was, tomorrow so;

  Love offering love on love’s self-feeding fire.

  SEVEN VIALS HOLD THY WRATH: BUT WHAT CAN HOLD

  Seven vials hold Thy wrath: but what can hold

  Thy mercy save Thine own Infinitude

  Boundlessly overflowing with all good,

  All lovingkindness, all delights untold?

  Thy Love, of each created love the mould;

  Thyself, of all the empty plenitude;

  Heard of at Ephrata, found in the Wood,

  For ever One, the Same, and Manifold.

  Lord, give us grace to tremble with that dove

  Which Ark-bound winged its solitary way

  And overpast the Deluge in a day,

  Whom Noah’s hand pulled in and comforted:

  For we who much more hang upon Thy Love

  Behold its shadow in the deed he did.

  WHERE NEITHER RUST NOR MOTH DOTH CORRUPT

  Nerve us with patience, Lord, to toil or rest,

  Toiling at rest on our allotted level;

  Unsnared, unscared by world or flesh or devil,

  Fulfilling the good Will of Thy behest;

  Not careful here to hoard, not here to revel;

  But waiting for our treasure and our zest

  Beyond the fading splendour of the west,

  Beyond this deathstruck life and deathlier evil.

  Not with the sparrow building here a house:

  But with the swallow tabernacling so

  As still to poise alert to rise and go

  On eager wings with wing-outspeeding wills

  Beyond earth’s gourds and past her almond boughs,

  Past utmost bound of the everlasting hills.

  AS THE SPARKS FLY UPWARDS

  Lord, grant us wills to trust Thee with such aim

  Of hope and passionate craving of desire,

  That we may mount aspiring, and aspire

  Still while we mount; rejoicing in Thy Name

  Yesterday, this day, day by day the Same:

  So sparks fly upward scaling heaven by fire,

  Still mount and still attain not, yet draw nigher

  While they have being to their fountain flame.

  To saints who mount, the bottomless abyss

  Is as mere nothing, they have set their face

  Onward and upward toward that blessèd place

  Where man rejoices with his God, and soul

  With soul, in the unutterable kiss

  Of peace for every victor at the goal.

  LORD, MAKE US ALL LOVE ALL: THAT WHEN WE MEET

  Lord, make us all love all: that when we meet

  Even myriads of earth’s myriads at Thy Bar,

  We may be glad as all true lovers are

  Who having parted count reunion sweet.

  Safe gathered home around Thy blessèd Feet,

  Come home by different roads from near or far,

  Whether by whirlwind or by flaming car,

  From pangs or sleep, safe folded round Thy seat.

  Oh, if our brother’s blood cry out at us,

  How shall we meet Thee Who hast loved us all,

  Thee Whom we never loved, not loving him?

  The unloving cannot chant with Seraphim,

  Bear harp of gold or palm victorious,

  Or face the Vision Beatifical.

  O LORD, I AM ASHAMED TO SEEK THY FACE

  O lord, I am ashamed to seek Thy Face

  As tho’ I loved Thee as Thy saints love Thee:

  Yet turn from those Thy lovers, look on me,

  Disgrace me not with uttermost disgrace;

  But pour on me ungracious, pour Thy grace

  To purge my heart and bid my will go free,

  Till I too taste Thy hidden Sweetness, see

  Thy hidden Beauty in the holy place.

  O Thou Who callest sinners to repent,

  Call me Thy sinner unto penitence,


  For many sins grant me the greater love:

  Set me above the waterfloods, above

  Devil and shifting world and fleshly sense,

  Thy Mercy’s all-amazing monument.

  IT IS NOT DEATH, O CHRIST, TO DIE FOR THEE

  It is not death, O Christ, to die for Thee:

  Nor is that silence of a silent land

  Which speaks Thy praise so all may understand:

  Darkness of death makes Thy dear lovers see

  Thyself Who Wast and Art and Art to Be;

  Thyself, more lovely than the lovely band

  Of saints who worship Thee on either hand,

  Loving and loved thro’ all eternity.

  Death is not death, and therefore do I hope:

  Nor silence silence; and I therefore sing

  A very humble hopeful quiet psalm,

  Searching my heart-field for an offering;

  A handful of sun-courting heliotrope,

  Of myrrh a bundle, and a little balm.

  LORD, GRANT US EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR

  Lord, grant us eyes to see and ears to hear,

  And souls to love and minds to understand,

  And steadfast faces toward the Holy Land,

  And confidence of hope, and filial fear,

  And citizenship where Thy saints appear

  Before Thee heart in heart and hand in hand,

  And Alleluias where their chanting band

  As waters and as thunders fill the sphere.

  Lord, grant us what Thou wilt, and what Thou wilt

  Deny, and fold us in Thy peaceful fold:

  Not as the world gives, give to us Thine own:

  Inbuild us where Jerusalem is built

  With walls of jasper and with streets of gold,

  And Thou Thyself, Lord Christ, for Corner Stone.

  CRIED OUT WITH TEARS

  Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief: