Man

Lo, while we ask the starsTo learn the will of God,His answer unawaresStrikes sudden from the sod.Not when we wait the wordThe word of God is giv’n;The voice of God is heardAs much from earth as heav’n.The voice of God is heardNot in the thunder-fit;A still small voice is heard,Half-heard, and that is it.

Lo, while we ask the starsTo learn the will of God,His answer unawaresStrikes sudden from the sod.

Lo, while we ask the stars

To learn the will of God,

His answer unawares

Strikes sudden from the sod.

Not when we wait the wordThe word of God is giv’n;The voice of God is heardAs much from earth as heav’n.

Not when we wait the word

The word of God is giv’n;

The voice of God is heard

As much from earth as heav’n.

The voice of God is heardNot in the thunder-fit;A still small voice is heard,Half-heard, and that is it.

The voice of God is heard

Not in the thunder-fit;

A still small voice is heard,

Half-heard, and that is it.

PÆANS

ManMan putteth the world to scaleAnd weigheth out the stars;Th’ eternal hath lost her veil,The infinite her bars;His balance he hath hung in heavenAnd set the sun therein.He measures the lords of lightAnd fiery orbs that spin;No riddle of darkest nightHe dares not look within;Athwart the roaring wrack of starsHe plumbs the chasm of heaven.The wings of the wind are his;To him the world is given;His servant the lightning is,And slave the ocean, even;He scans the mountains yet unclimb’dAnd sounds the solid sea.With fingers of thought he holdsWhat is or e’er can be;And, touching it not, unfoldsThe sealèd mystery.The pigmy hands, eyes, head God gaveA giant’s are become.

ManMan putteth the world to scaleAnd weigheth out the stars;Th’ eternal hath lost her veil,The infinite her bars;His balance he hath hung in heavenAnd set the sun therein.

Man

Man putteth the world to scale

And weigheth out the stars;

Th’ eternal hath lost her veil,

The infinite her bars;

His balance he hath hung in heaven

And set the sun therein.

He measures the lords of lightAnd fiery orbs that spin;No riddle of darkest nightHe dares not look within;Athwart the roaring wrack of starsHe plumbs the chasm of heaven.

He measures the lords of light

And fiery orbs that spin;

No riddle of darkest night

He dares not look within;

Athwart the roaring wrack of stars

He plumbs the chasm of heaven.

The wings of the wind are his;To him the world is given;His servant the lightning is,And slave the ocean, even;He scans the mountains yet unclimb’dAnd sounds the solid sea.

The wings of the wind are his;

To him the world is given;

His servant the lightning is,

And slave the ocean, even;

He scans the mountains yet unclimb’d

And sounds the solid sea.

With fingers of thought he holdsWhat is or e’er can be;And, touching it not, unfoldsThe sealèd mystery.The pigmy hands, eyes, head God gaveA giant’s are become.

With fingers of thought he holds

What is or e’er can be;

And, touching it not, unfolds

The sealèd mystery.

The pigmy hands, eyes, head God gave

A giant’s are become.

But tho’ to this height sublimeBy labour he hath clomb,One summit he hath to climb,One deep the more to plumb—To rede himself and rule himself,And so to reach the sum.1898.

But tho’ to this height sublimeBy labour he hath clomb,One summit he hath to climb,One deep the more to plumb—To rede himself and rule himself,And so to reach the sum.

But tho’ to this height sublime

By labour he hath clomb,

One summit he hath to climb,

One deep the more to plumb—

To rede himself and rule himself,

And so to reach the sum.

1898.

LifeFrom birth to death the life of manIs infinite on the earth,To know and do that which he canAnd be what he is worth.Our mortal life, however wrought,Eternity is indeed;For every moment brings a thought,And every thought’s a deed;And that is so much infiniteWhich may be divided much;And if we live with might and mirthOur human life is such.For him who has not might and mirthThat which is not now is never;And he who can live well on earthDoes live in heaven for ever.1898.

LifeFrom birth to death the life of manIs infinite on the earth,To know and do that which he canAnd be what he is worth.

Life

From birth to death the life of man

Is infinite on the earth,

To know and do that which he can

And be what he is worth.

Our mortal life, however wrought,Eternity is indeed;For every moment brings a thought,And every thought’s a deed;

Our mortal life, however wrought,

Eternity is indeed;

For every moment brings a thought,

And every thought’s a deed;

And that is so much infiniteWhich may be divided much;And if we live with might and mirthOur human life is such.

And that is so much infinite

Which may be divided much;

And if we live with might and mirth

Our human life is such.

For him who has not might and mirthThat which is not now is never;And he who can live well on earthDoes live in heaven for ever.

For him who has not might and mirth

That which is not now is never;

And he who can live well on earth

Does live in heaven for ever.

1898.

World-SongO Vision inviolate, O Splendour supernal,We stand in Thy white light like lamps alit in day;Before Thee, Omnipotent, in sight of Thy glory,Our countenance is witherèd like stars in the sun.Before Thee our symphonies are still’d into silence;Thy wisdom we wot not nor ever shall we know;But from Thy high throne, O God, Thy voice and Thy thunderIn utterance reïterate give glory and strength.

World-Song

O Vision inviolate, O Splendour supernal,

We stand in Thy white light like lamps alit in day;

Before Thee, Omnipotent, in sight of Thy glory,

Our countenance is witherèd like stars in the sun.

Before Thee our symphonies are still’d into silence;Thy wisdom we wot not nor ever shall we know;But from Thy high throne, O God, Thy voice and Thy thunderIn utterance reïterate give glory and strength.

Before Thee our symphonies are still’d into silence;

Thy wisdom we wot not nor ever shall we know;

But from Thy high throne, O God, Thy voice and Thy thunder

In utterance reïterate give glory and strength.

Finis

Transcriber’s Notes:

Punctuation has been corrected without note. Archaic spellings and hyphenation have been retained. Other errors have been corrected as noted below. Original list of Contents at the beginning contained only listings for Parts in the sectionIN EXILEso links for individual poem titles have been added for reader convenience.

page 26, But but because we must. ==>But becausewe must.

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