IN DARK HOUR
By Seumas MacManus
I Turn my steps where the Lonely RoadWinds far as the eye can see,And I bend my back for the burden soreThat God has reached down to me.I have said farewell to the sun-kissed plains,To joy I gave good-bye;Now the bleak wide wastes of the world are mine,And the winds that wail in the sky.No bright flower blooms, no sweet bird calls,Nor hermit ever abode,Not a green thing lifts one lowly leaf,O God, on the Lonely Road!The thick dank mists come stealing down,And press me on every side.With never a voice to cheer me on,And never a hand to guide.I shall cry in my need for a Voice and Hand,And the solace of love-wet eyes—And an icy clutch will close on my heart,When Echo, the mocker, replies.
I Turn my steps where the Lonely RoadWinds far as the eye can see,And I bend my back for the burden soreThat God has reached down to me.I have said farewell to the sun-kissed plains,To joy I gave good-bye;Now the bleak wide wastes of the world are mine,And the winds that wail in the sky.No bright flower blooms, no sweet bird calls,Nor hermit ever abode,Not a green thing lifts one lowly leaf,O God, on the Lonely Road!The thick dank mists come stealing down,And press me on every side.With never a voice to cheer me on,And never a hand to guide.I shall cry in my need for a Voice and Hand,And the solace of love-wet eyes—And an icy clutch will close on my heart,When Echo, the mocker, replies.
I Turn my steps where the Lonely RoadWinds far as the eye can see,And I bend my back for the burden soreThat God has reached down to me.
I Turn my steps where the Lonely Road
Winds far as the eye can see,
And I bend my back for the burden sore
That God has reached down to me.
I have said farewell to the sun-kissed plains,To joy I gave good-bye;Now the bleak wide wastes of the world are mine,And the winds that wail in the sky.
I have said farewell to the sun-kissed plains,
To joy I gave good-bye;
Now the bleak wide wastes of the world are mine,
And the winds that wail in the sky.
No bright flower blooms, no sweet bird calls,Nor hermit ever abode,Not a green thing lifts one lowly leaf,O God, on the Lonely Road!
No bright flower blooms, no sweet bird calls,
Nor hermit ever abode,
Not a green thing lifts one lowly leaf,
O God, on the Lonely Road!
The thick dank mists come stealing down,And press me on every side.With never a voice to cheer me on,And never a hand to guide.
The thick dank mists come stealing down,
And press me on every side.
With never a voice to cheer me on,
And never a hand to guide.
I shall cry in my need for a Voice and Hand,And the solace of love-wet eyes—And an icy clutch will close on my heart,When Echo, the mocker, replies.
I shall cry in my need for a Voice and Hand,
And the solace of love-wet eyes—
And an icy clutch will close on my heart,
When Echo, the mocker, replies.
I know my good soul will fail me not,When Forms from the Dark round me creep,And whisper ’twere sweet to journey no more,But lay down the burden and sleep.(Look onward and up, O Heart of my Heart,Where the road strikes the skies afar!To cheer you, and guide, thro’ your darkest hour,Behold yon beckoning Star!)I set my face to the grey wild wastes,I bend my back to the load—Dear God be kind with the heart-sick childWho steps on the Lonely Road.
I know my good soul will fail me not,When Forms from the Dark round me creep,And whisper ’twere sweet to journey no more,But lay down the burden and sleep.(Look onward and up, O Heart of my Heart,Where the road strikes the skies afar!To cheer you, and guide, thro’ your darkest hour,Behold yon beckoning Star!)I set my face to the grey wild wastes,I bend my back to the load—Dear God be kind with the heart-sick childWho steps on the Lonely Road.
I know my good soul will fail me not,When Forms from the Dark round me creep,And whisper ’twere sweet to journey no more,But lay down the burden and sleep.
I know my good soul will fail me not,
When Forms from the Dark round me creep,
And whisper ’twere sweet to journey no more,
But lay down the burden and sleep.
(Look onward and up, O Heart of my Heart,Where the road strikes the skies afar!To cheer you, and guide, thro’ your darkest hour,Behold yon beckoning Star!)
(Look onward and up, O Heart of my Heart,
Where the road strikes the skies afar!
To cheer you, and guide, thro’ your darkest hour,
Behold yon beckoning Star!)
I set my face to the grey wild wastes,I bend my back to the load—Dear God be kind with the heart-sick childWho steps on the Lonely Road.
I set my face to the grey wild wastes,
I bend my back to the load—
Dear God be kind with the heart-sick child
Who steps on the Lonely Road.