Beneath the Southern Seas, within the earth
Embowelled, the mighty earth-fires slumbered on
Until the waking time, and then, with strange
Appalling sounds, which startled earth itself,
While oceans rushed away, this beauteous land,
In fiery awfulness and pomp, uprose.
From twice two hundred belching hills down poured
The red-hot streams, while showers of burning earth
Fell hissing in the sea, or lit the ground.
Then by the ocean waves, and winged fleets
That o’er them sailed, were carried seeds, which lodged
Within the ready soil, and grew, and joyed
To live ; until, as ages still went by,
The giant trees, with all th’ attendant plants,
The flowering shrubs, the vines, the flax and ferns,
The grass, and waving reeds, and scented herbs,
In loving unison the land adorned.
And far on silent hills, with gentle force
The springs of water oozed, and dripped, and ran
In tiny rills, and met with other rills,
And these with more ; and flowed, a broadening stream,
Through virgin forests down the rocky gorge,
In silvery windings through the spreading plains,
And on, in stately course, to meet the sea.
And in their secret channels underground
The rivers flowed, which would, in days when man
Had pierced the earth, spring up in living streams.
And coal lay there, as well as richest gems,
And gold to blast or bless the sons of men.
And in this Wonderland the Moa roamed,
And Kiwis, wingless birds, had there their home.
No venomed serpent glided there, or rose
In deadly coil, to mar the harmony
Of pleasant fields, or wooded murmurous glens.
And one by one the fires that issued from
The inmost earth drew back ; and on their vast
And silent bowl-like place men look, and bring
To mind the cauldron’s overflowing lake,
And hills that burned and belched in pristine time.
And even now on Tongariro’s Mount
Are signs of fire and smouldering power ; and springs
That seethe all day, and send up clouds of steam,
Are near ; and in these sulphur baths men bathe
To bring their strength again, and banish pain.
To these fair isles there came in great canoes
A race of men adventurous, warlike, quick ;
And here they stayed, and multiplied, and spread,
Until it came that tribe fell out with tribe,
And quarrels raged, and hateful passions reigned.
And so it was when some of Britain’s sons
Came sailing in their whale-ships in these seas,
And saw the goodly land which Tasman saw,
And Cook made known, and, landing there, they stayed.
And soon it came that on a British ship
A Maori, Duaterra, sailed, and worked
Amongst the crew ; and him a minister
Of God of Austral’s land observed, and asked
About his race, and learned to speak his tongue,
For he would plant a garden choice, to please
The living God, in Duaterra’s land.
So Marsden left his home, and sailed to tell
A race of men the Gospel of the Lord.
And on the day men celebrate the Lord’s
Nativity, while o’er the scene the sun
Rejoicing shone, he plunged into the sea,
And swam to greet the Maoris on the shore ;
And in their native tongue they heard him say,
” Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy.”
And soon it ran that God was GOOD, and God
Loved THEM, and One had wrought on earth to bring
Them back to God, and show the way of Love ;
And God gave life : the dews and gentle rain,
Of His good grace, refreshed the fields, which brought
Forth healthful fruits and flowers of Paradise.
But storm-clouds gathered o’er the peaceful scene,
When other tribes of Maoris rose against
The Whites, and brave men fought against the brave,
Save when Te Kooti led his cruel tribe
‘Gainst unprotected homes, to slay the weak ;
They tossed, and caught the children on the spears,
And killed the helpless mothers and their babes.
And strong men shudder now, to hear recalled
The horrors of that fire-lit massacre.
Throughout this time men builded towns, and towns,
When peace was made, to throbbing cities grew,
And villages and country homes appeared.
The fertile acres yielded to the plough,
And ripening sunbeams brought the harvest-home ;
With flocks and herds the plains and hills were decked,
The ships conveyed afar the golden fleece ;
From all the world men brought their arts, their skill,
And progress ran, and knowledge multiplied.
O, be her people wise to serve the Lord,
As o’er them speaks the Standard of the Cross !
And may her rulers rule in equity,
And gentle peace unfrightened nestle here !
So shall the Ruler of her destinies
Take pleasure in a people nobly good,
And shed His light and glory o’er the land.
(Gerard Addington D Arcy Irvine)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, God Poems, World Poems, Time Poems, Nature Poems, War & Peace Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Christianity Poems, Fire Poems, Home PoemsBased on Keywords: belched, maori, fire-lit, awfulness, harvest-home, tasman, tongariro, maoris, moa, unfrightened, marsden