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| O THOU that cleavest heaven | |
| With such unmastered flight, | |
| To whom the fates have given | |
| For sport the sky’s blue height; | |
| Where cloud with cloud is meeting, | 5 |
| I see thy bright wings beating, | |
| And flashing and retreating | |
| Against the morning light! | |
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| No toilsome task thou knowest, | |
| No day with tears begun, | 10 |
| Lighthearted forth thou goest | |
| At morn to meet the sun; | |
| All day thy song thou triest | |
| From lowest note to highest, | |
| And all unweary fliest | 15 |
| Until the day be done. | |
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| Thou knowest no toil for raiment, | |
| No pain of mocked desire; | |
| The skies are thy song’s payment, | |
| The sun thy throne of fire. | 20 |
| Thou askest and receivest, | |
| And if perchance thou grievest, | |
| At will the world thou leavest | |
| On wings that never tire. | |
| |
| Yet we of grosser stature | 25 |
| Have in thy flight a part, | |
| We share thy tameless nature, | |
| We have a nobler art. | |
| When thou art tired returning, | |
| There mount in love and yearning, | 30 |
| Toward suns of keener burning, | |
| The winged thoughts of our heart. | |
| |
| Within our souls are folden | |
| The wings thou canst not share, | |
| We see a dawn more golden, | 35 |
| We breathe diviner air: | |
| In sleep when toil is ended, | |
| In prayer with hope attended, | |
| We traverse ways more splendid, | |
| And see a world more fair. | 40 |
| |
| Yet oft, when day is gleaming | |
| On sleepless eyes, we vow | |
| We would exchange our dreaming | |
| To be one hour as thou! | |
| Such discontent we borrow, | 45 |
| That we forget in sorrow | |
| We have the long to-morrow, | |
| Thou only hast the NOW. | |
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