Poems (Hoffman)/The Easter Day
EASTER DAY
The happiest day of all the year is thisBy song and sunshine ushered in,Only the tyranny of sinCan cloud her perfect joyousness,Only the minor strain of wrongsCan sadden her immortal songs.
Christmas we sang a Saviour's birth,To-day that Saviour crucifiedHas risen triumphant, glorified,And waked the Easter song of earth,That song by Easter angels ledThat Christ is risen from the dead.
And the fair Easter lilies riseFrom the long burial underground,Symbols of life in victory crownedOf Earth responding to the skies,Of Nature bursting Earth's brown crust,Of beauty risen from the dust.
Each year the lilies hear the callOf prophecy, of hope and trust,Awake and sing who dwell in dustAnd the fair lilies waken all,And old Earth listens for the voiceThat bids her waken and rejoice.
Softly the waking call doth come:—Awake and sing, all hearts that dwellEarth-burdened like the lily bell, Wake the glad hymn on tongue long dumb,Let angels roll the stone awayFrom life and light and love to-day.
And may the voiceless lilies bearTo every soul a message breathedIn fragrance and with beauty wreathed,To sorrow,—hope; to sin—a prayer,And happy hearts go forth to swellThe anthem of the lily bell.
And sweet shall sound the lily chimeGlad Easter coming, here, and gone,'Till death and night and sin shall dawnInto a nightless morning climeWith all Earth-darkness cast asideAnd all Earth-brightness glorified.