How wisely is the stream of life controll’d
In its mild course—exhausted, and renew’d;
When toiling day its hurried tide has roll’d,
Comes night’s sweet season;—a vicissitude
Of labour and of rest;—the day-rays shine
Upon the mountains,—and I live again:
Yet blest it is our spirits to resign
To the calm influence of midnight’s reign.
Land of pure freedom—kingdom of repose!
I lay and slept—the day had hid his beam,
And my tired spirit at the evening’s close
Slept with the sun—while many a lovely dream
Play’d with my wandering intellect, and spread
Its soften’d colouring round me,—and I breath’d
In new existence, by bright fancy led
To realms in which eternal garlands wreath’d
The enfranchised spirit. What a blessedness,
Tho’ for a moment only, to take wing
To the fair regions of eternal peace,
The paradise of everlasting spring,
Whose life-source is immortal! E’en this world
Were a most privileged, most bright abode,
If hence—imagination’s wings unfurl’d
Could sometimes waft th’ aspiring soul to God.
Man’s hopes and fears may seem confined, to him
Whose vision stretches not o’er mortal things;
But the most distant star’s invisible beam,
Or comet in his farthest journeyings,
Or all the extent which philosophic ken
Has given to infinite space, th’ elastic soul
Springs over; these, and more than these, in vain
Her free and untired wand’rings would control.
At will, she travels on from sun to sun—
System to system—peoples as she flies
Unnumber’d stars—an all-creating one!
Dives into nature’s deepest mysteries;
Unlocks the gates of death, and holds communion
With spirits of the tomb; and yet this spark,
So bright and beautiful, is held in union
With mortal clay,—unintellectual, dark,
And seems to perish. It can perish never.
Born of the heavens, again to heaven it speeds
To dwell in its own home—to shine for ever,
Divested of its dull and mortal weeds.
Great Being! who hast placed Thy pilgrim here,
In the dull twilight of this shadow-land,
O lead me to that brighter, better sphere,
‘Neath the mild influence of Thy guiding hand.
Let me partake Thy gifts, Thy gifts improve;
Enjoy Thy sunshine here, and pluck the flowers
Strew’d on my path by Thy benignant love;
Inhale the freshness of the morning hours,
The fragrance of the evening breeze; and see
In all things Thy directing spirit, Lord!
Thou, in all nature visible—all in Thee:
And hear Thy voice, Thine all-impressive word,
In every sound of air, or earth, or sea;
For all, O God! are pregnant with Thy praise;
And I thus join the general harmony,
And my low song of grateful worship raise.
(John Bowring)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, God Poems, Life Poems, World Poems, Death & Dying Poems, War & Peace Poems, Heaven Poems, Fairness Poems, Flowers Poems, Beauty PoemsBased on Keywords: divested, enfranchised, controll, journeyings, stars-, clay-, course-, slept-, all-creating, shadow-land, freedom-