| Alfred H. Miles, ed. Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907. | | | Time Flies.
I. “Lord Babe, If Thou Art He” | | By Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830–1894) |
| | January 6
(Feast of the Epiphany)
“LORD Babe, if Thou art He | |
| We sought for patiently, | |
| Where is Thy court? | |
| Hither may prophecy and star resort; | |
| Men heed not their report.”— | 5 |
| “Bow down and worship, righteous man: | |
| This Infant of a span | |
| Is He man sought for since the world began.”— | |
| “Then, Lord, accept my gold, too base a thing | |
| For Thee, of all kings King.” | 10 |
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| “Lord Babe, despite Thy youth | |
| I hold Thee of a truth | |
| Both Good and Great: | |
| But wherefore dost Thou keep so mean a state, | |
| Low lying desolate?”— | 15 |
| “Bow down and worship, righteous seer: | |
| The Lord our God is here | |
| Approachable, Who bids us all draw near.” | |
| “Wherefore to Thee I offer frankincense, | |
| Thou Sole Omnipotence.” | 20 |
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| “But I have only brought | |
| Myrrh; no wise afterthought | |
| Instructed me | |
| To gather pearls or gems, or choice to see | |
| Coral or ivory.”— | 25 |
| “Not least thine offering proves thee wise: | |
| For myrrh means sacrifice, | |
| And He that lives, this same is He that dies.”— | |
| “Then here is myrrh: alas! yea, woe is me | |
| That myrrh befitteth Thee.” | 30 |
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| Myrrh, frankincense and gold: | |
| And lo! from wintry fold | |
| Good will doth bring | |
| A Lamb, the innocent likeness of this King | |
| Whom stars and seraphs sing: | 35 |
| And lo! the bird of love, a Dove | |
| Flutters and cooes above: | |
| And Dove and Lamb and Babe agree in love:— | |
| Come, all mankind, come, all creation, hither, | |
| Come, worship Christ together. | 40 | | | |
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