4579710Poems — A Christmas SymphonyHelen Hunt Jackson
POEMS.
A CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY.
I.
CHRISTMAS stars! your pregnant silentness,Mute syllabled in rhythmic light,Leads on to-night,And beckons, as three thousand years agoIt beckoning led. We, simple shepherds, knowLittle we can confess,Beyond that we are poor, and creepAnd wander with our sheep,Who love and follow us. We hear,If we attend, a singing in the sky;But feel no fear,Knowing that God is always nigh,And none pass by,Except His Sons, who cannot bringTidings of evil, since they sing.Wise men with gifts are hurrying,In haste to seek the meaning of the Star,In search of worship which is new and far.We are but humble, so weOn through the night, sheep,And with the stars. Between us and the east,No wall, no tree, no cloud, lifts bar.We know the sunrise. Not one leastOf all its tokens can escapeOur eyes that watch. But all days areAs nights, and nights as days,In our still ways.We have no dread of any shapeWhich darkness can assume or fill;We are not weary; we can wait;God's hours are never late.The wise men say they will return,Revealing unto us the things they learn.Mayhap! Meantime the Star stands still;And, having that, we have the Sign.If we mistake, God is divine!
II.
Oh, not alone because His name is Christ,Oh, not alone because Judea waitsThis man-child for her King, the Star stands still.Its glory reinstates,Beyond humiliation's utmost ill,On peerless throne, which she alone can fill,Each earthly woman. Motherhood is pricedOf God, at price no man may dareTo lessen, or misunderstand.The motherhood which cameTo virgin sets in vestal flame,Fed by each new-born infant's hand,With Heaven's air,With Heaven's food,The crown of purest purity revealed,Virginity eternal signed and sealedUpon all motherhood!
III.
Oh, not alone because His name is Christ,Oh, not alone because Judea waitsThis man-child for her King, the Star stands still.The Babe has mates.Childhood shall be forever on the earth;And no man who has hurt or lightly pricedSo much as one sweet hairOn one sweet infant's head,But shall be cursed! Henceforth all things fulfilProtection to each sacred birth.No spot shall dareRefuse a shelter. Beasts shall treadMore lightly; and distress,And poverty, and loneliness,Yea, and all darkness, shall deviseTo shield each place wherein an infant lies.And wisdom shall come seeking it with gift,And worship it with myrrh and frankincense;And kings shall tremble if it liftIts hand against a throne.But mighty in its ownGreat feebleness, and safe in God's defence,No harm can touch it, and no death can kill,Without its Father's will!
IV.
Oh, not alone because His name is Christ,Oh, not alone because Judea waitsThis man-child for her King, the Star stands still.The universe must utter, and fulfilThe mighty voice which states,The mighty destiny which holds,Its key-note and its ultimate design.Waste places and the deserts must perceiveThat they are priced,No less than gardens in the Heart Divine.Sorrow her sorrowing must leave,And learn one signWith joy. And Loss and GainMust be no more.And all things which have gone before,And all things which remain,And all of Life, and all of Death be slainIn mighty birth, whose nameIs called Redemption! Praise!Praise to God! The sameTo-day and yesterday, and in all daysForever! Praise!
V.
Oh, Christmas stars! Your pregnant silentness,Mute syllabled in rhythmic light,Fills all the night.No doubt, on all your golden shores,Full music ringsOf HappinessAs sweet as ours.Midway in that great tideless stream which pours,And builds its shining road through trackless space,From you to us, and us to you, must beSome mystic place,Where all our voices meet, and meltInto this solemn silence which is felt,And sense of sound mysterious bringsWhere sound is not. This is God's secret. HeSits centred in his myriads of skies,Where seas of sound and seas of silence rise,And break together in one note and key,Divinely limitless in harmony!
A CHRISTMAS SYMPHONY.
"O Christmas stars! your pregnant silentness.Mute syllabled in rhythmic light.Leads on to-night.And beckons, as three thousand years agoIt beckoning led."
CHRISTMAS stars! your pregnant silentness,Mute syllabled in rhythmic light,Leads on to-night,And beckons, as three thousand years agoIt beckoning led. We, simple shepherds, know Little we can confess,Beyond that we are poor, and creepAnd wander with our sheep, Who love and follow us. We hear,If we attend, a singing in the sky; But feel no fear,Knowing that God is always nigh,And none pass by,Except His Sons, who cannot bringTidings of evil, since they sing.Wise men with gifts are hurrying,In haste to seek the meaning of the Star,In search of worship which is new and far. We are but humble, so we On through the night, sheep,And with the stars. Between us and the east, No wall, no tree, no cloud, lifts bar.We know the sunrise. Not one least Of all its tokens can escape Our eyes that watch. But all days areAs nights, and nights as days,In our still ways. We have no dread of any shape Which darkness can assume or fill; We are not weary; we can wait; God's hours are never late.The wise men say they will return,Revealing unto us the things they learn. Mayhap! Meantime the Star stands still;And, having that, we have the Sign.If we mistake, God is divine!
CHRISTMAS stars! your pregnant silentness,Mute syllabled in rhythmic light,Leads on to-night,And beckons, as three thousand years agoIt beckoning led. We, simple shepherds, know Little we can confess,Beyond that we are poor, and creepAnd wander with our sheep, Who love and follow us. We hear,If we attend, a singing in the sky; But feel no fear,Knowing that God is always nigh,And none pass by,Except His Sons, who cannot bringTidings of evil, since they sing.Wise men with gifts are hurrying,In haste to seek the meaning of the Star,In search of worship which is new and far. We are but humble, so we On through the night, sheep,And with the stars. Between us and the east, No wall, no tree, no cloud, lifts bar.We know the sunrise. Not one least Of all its tokens can escape Our eyes that watch. But all days areAs nights, and nights as days,In our still ways. We have no dread of any shape Which darkness can assume or fill; We are not weary; we can wait; God's hours are never late.The wise men say they will return,Revealing unto us the things they learn. Mayhap! Meantime the Star stands still;And, having that, we have the Sign.If we mistake, God is divine!
