第 12 节
作者:管他三七二十一      更新:2021-10-16 18:45      字数:9321
  watched the sorrows and the joys of years; Had lit his fame and hope with
  sacred     rays;   And    consecrated      sad   and   happy     days   …  Had    blessed    his
  happiness;   and      soothed     his  pain;   Now     took   her   faithful   servant    home
  again。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  He   rests   in   peace:   some   travellers   mention   yet   An   organist   whose
  name   they   all   forget。   He   has   a   holier   and   a   nobler   fame   By  poor   men's
  hearths; who love and bless the name Of a kind friend; and in low tones
  to…day;   Speak   tenderly   of   him   who   passed   away。   Too   poor   to   help   the
  daughter of their friend; They grieved to see the little pittance end; To see
  her    toil  and   strive   with    cheerful    heart;   To   bear   the   lonely   orphan's
  struggling      part;  They    grieved    to  see   her  go   at  last  alone   To   English
  kinsmen she had never known: And here she came; the foreign girl soon
  found Welcome; and love; and plenty all around; And here she pays it back
  with earnest will; By well…taught housewife watchfulness and skill; Deep
  in her heart she holds her father's name; And tenderly and proudly keeps
  his fame; And while she works with thrifty Belgian care; Past dreams of
  childhood   float   upon   the   air;   Some   strange   old   chant;   or   solemn   Latin
  hymn; That echoed through the old cathedral dim; When as a little child
  each day she went To kneel and pray by an old tomb in Ghent。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                  THE ANGEL OF
  DEATH
  Why shouldst thou fear the beautiful angel; Death; Who waits thee at
  the portals of the skies; Ready to kiss away thy struggling breath; Ready
  with gentle hand to close thine eyes?
  How   many  a   tranquil   soul   has   passed   away;   Fled   gladly  from   fierce
  pain and pleasures dim; To the eternal splendour of the day; And many a
  troubled heart still calls for him。
  Spirits too tender for the battle here Have turned from life; its hopes;
  its fears; its charms; And children; shuddering at a world so drear; Have
  smiling passed away into his arms。
  He whom thou fearest will; to ease its pain; Lay his cold hand upon
  thy aching heart: Will soothe the terrors of thy troubled brain; And bid the
  shadow of earth's grief depart。
  He will give back what neither time; nor might; Nor passionate prayer;
  nor longing hope restore。 (Dear as to long blind eyes recovered sight;) He
  will give back those who are gone before。
  Oh; what were life; if life were all?       Thine eyes Are blinded by their
  tears; or thou wouldst see Thy treasures wait thee in the far…off skies; And
  Death; thy friend; will give them all to thee。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                   A DREAM
  All yesterday I was spinning; Sitting alone in the sun; And the dream
  that I spun was so lengthy; It lasted till day was done。
  I  heeded    not   cloud   or  shadow    That   flitted  over   the  hill;  Or  the
  humming…bees; or the swallows; Or the trickling of the rill。
  I   took   the   threads   for   my   spinning;   All   of   blue   summer   air;   And   a
  flickering ray of sunlight Was woven in here and there。
  The   shadows   grew   longer   and   longer;   The   evening   wind   passed   by;
  And the purple splendour of sunset Was flooding the western sky。
  But I could not leave my spinning; For so fair my dream had grown。 I
  heeded not; hour by hour; How the silent day had flown。
  At last the grey shadows fell round me; And the night came dark and
  chill; And I rose and ran down the valley; And left it all on the hill。
  I went up the hill this morning To the place where my spinning lay …
  There was nothing but glistening dewdrops Remained of my dream to…day。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                    THE PRESENT
  Do   not   crouch   to…day;   and   worship   The   old   Past;   whose   life   is   fled;
  Hush your voice to tender reverence; Crowned he lies; but cold and dead:
  For   the   Present   reigns   our   monarch;   With     an   added   weight   of  hours;
  Honour her; for she is mighty! Honour her; for she is ours!
  See the  shadows   of his heroes   Girt   around   her  cloudy  throne;   Every
  day   the   ranks   are   strengthened   By   great   hearts   to   him   unknown;   Noble
  things the great Past promised; Holy dreams; both strange and new; But
  the Present shall fulfil them; What he promised; she shall do。
  She inherits all his treasures; She is heir to all his fame; And the light
  that lightens round her Is the lustre of his name; She is wise with all his
  wisdom; Living on his grave she stands; On her brow she bears his laurels;
  And his harvest in her hands。
  Coward; can she reign and conquer If we thus her glory dim? Let us
  fight for her as nobly As our fathers fought for him。 God; who crowns the
  dying ages; Bids her rule; and us obey … Bids us cast our lives before her;
  Bids us serve the great To…day。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                   CHANGES
  Mourn;      O  rejoicing   heart!   The   hours   are  flying;   Each   one   some
  treasure takes; Each one some blossom breaks; And leaves it dying; The
  chill   dark   night   draws   near;   Thy   sun   will   soon   depart;   And   leave   thee
  sighing; Then mourn; rejoicing heart; The hours are flying!
  Rejoice; O grieving heart! The hours fly fast; With each some sorrow
  dies; With each some shadow flies; Until at last The red dawn in the east
  Bids   weary   night   depart; And   pain   is   past。   Rejoice   then;   grieving   heart;
  The hours fly fast!
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                 STRIVE; WAIT; AND
  PRAY
  Strive; yet I   do not promise The prize   you dream of   to…day Will not
  fade when you think to grasp it; And melt in your hand away; But another
  and holier treasure; You   would   now perchance   disdain; Will come   when
  your toil is over; And pay you for all your pain。
  Wait; yet I do not tell you The hour you long for now; Will not come
  with its radiance vanished; And a shadow upon its brow; Yet far through
  the misty future; With a crown of starry light; An hour of joy you know
  not Is winging her silent flight。
  Pray; though the gift you ask for May never comfort your fears; May
  never repay  your   pleading; Yet pray;  and with hopeful   tears; An   answer;
  not that you long for; But diviner; will come one day; Your eyes are too
  dim to see it; Yet strive; and wait; and pray。
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                 A LAMENT FOR THE
  SUMMER
  Moan;   oh   ye   Autumn   Winds!   Summer   has   fled;   The   flowers   have
  closed their tender leaves and die; The Lily's gracious head All low must
  lie; Because the gentle Summer now is dead。
  Grieve; oh ye Autumn Winds! Summer lies low; The rose's trembling
  leaves will soon be shed; For she that loved her so; Alas; is dead! And one
  by one her loving children go。
  Wail; oh ye Autumn Winds! She lives no more; The gentle Summer;
  with her balmy breath; Still sweeter than before When nearer death; And
  brighter every day the smile she wore!
  Mourn;   mourn;   oh   Autumn   Winds;   Lament   and   mourn;   How   many
  half…blown   buds   must   close   and   die;   Hopes   with   the   Summer   born   All
  faded lie; And leave us desolate and Earth forlorn!
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICSFIRST SERIES
  VERSE:                  THE UNKNOWN
  GRAVE