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(Section II) THE BREAKING dawn the darkness puts to flight, | |
| Kindling to flame each cold, bleak, naked height; | |
| Its splendours strike thy sleep-locked, shrouded sight. | |
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| Part with the visionary for the real,— | |
| Phantoms of night when dreams the eyelids seal; | 5 |
| Let not the illusive show the substance steal: | |
| Shake off thy sleep, let go! | |
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(Section XV) Wrapt in her cerements, prisoned in the tomb | |
| Of flesh, thy spirit sighs for ampler room, | |
| Buried in night-shades and sepulchral gloom. | 10 |
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| This is the note of each progressive thing— | |
| Reluctance to its cruder stage to cling, | |
| Fain the growth-hindering husk away to fling. | |
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| Who shun the birth-pangs ushering from the womb— | |
| Abortions of the universe become, | 15 |
| Cast on the void—their spirit-sense all numb. | |
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| Develop thou the nobler life within, | |
| Fling off the veil—the envelope of sin, | |
| Die to the death of life, to live begin! | |
| Divest thy sheath; let go! | 20 |
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(Section XVI) Let the gay gauze-winged fly apt lesson teach,— | |
| Matured she mounts some reed at easy reach, | |
| Leaves low companionship of eft and leech: | |
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| Hangs for a tremulous moment while she dries | |
| Her veined diaphanous fans,—then venturous tries | 25 |
| A region strange, while functions new she plies. | |
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| Above her stretch the fields of azure air; | |
| Beneath—the foul depths of her stagnant mere, | |
| Of loathsome creeping things the horrid lair. | |
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| Of her stupendous change now on the eve, | 30 |
| Prepared new large endowments to receive, | |
| Such uncongenial scenes she joys to leave. | |
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| Thy wings for heavenly flight all plumed and drest, | |
| Why lingerest still in this thy sorry nest? | |
| In prison-cage fledged spirits find scant rest: | 35 |
| Poor straitened soul, let go! | |
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(Section XVIII) Learn in self-sacrifice to find thy joy, | |
| The only bliss unmingled with alloy; | |
| All lesser pleasures soon must pall and cloy. | |
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| Better it is to give than to receive, | 40 |
| All to forsake than unto aught to cleave;— | |
| ’Tis in the act of giving that we live. | |
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| All spiritual Being lives by this— | |
| The ground and basis of the Godhood’s bliss; | |
| Who turn therefrom the Life Eternal miss. | 45 |
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| For though discharged in full strict duty’s round, | |
| If in the chains of self-hood thou art bound— | |
| Lifeless and void of worth thy works are found. | |
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| Throughout the extent of Nature’s wide domain | |
| See this great law of sacrifice obtain, | 50 |
| The creature’s loss conditioning its gain. | |
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| The very elements this law obey,— | |
| The beams that from the solar source outray, | |
| The springing fount’s perpetual sparkling play. | |
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| All living things are constituted so, | 55 |
| All organisms from out earth’s womb that grow; | |
| As is the outward, so the to-ward flow: | |
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| So that whate’er impedes or hindereth | |
| The pores’ free play, the issue of the breath, | |
| Is the concomitant or cause of death: | 60 |
| Would’st truly live?—let go! | |
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(Section XIX) E’en when thou hast parted with these meaner things, | |
| Christ’s law of sacrifice fresh claims still brings; | |
| To life’s last close the imperious summons rings. | |
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| Driv’n from each hold—self builds thereof in lieu | 65 |
| Some later refuge with materials new, | |
| For life at any cost content to sue. | |
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| To virtue’s supreme summits would’st thou press,— | |
| Thy righteousness must be renounced no less | |
| Than erst thine evil and unrighteousness. | 70 |
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| To the whole human family akin— | |
| Accept as thine the common guilt and sin, | |
| Whose undeveloped germs thou bear’st within. | |
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| Howsoe’er pure and blameless in men’s eyes | |
| Thy life and deeds—beneath a thin disguise | 75 |
| An unknown world of foul corruption lies. | |
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| Shun not the Spirit’s probing of thine heart, | |
| The full disclosure of the thing thou art, | |
| However keen and painful be the smart. | |
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| Yea, welcome all that weakens self-esteem | 80 |
| Awakes thee from each vain, self-flattering dream; | |
| Meanest of all men learn thyself to deem. | |
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| Abase thee in thine own and others’ sight, | |
| A just and lowly estimate invite, | |
| Take the last place—in thy false pride’s despite; | 85 |
| All vain pretence let go! | |
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(Section XX) Whate’er thou’st won, remaineth still much more; | |
| Heaven hath abundance yet for thee in store; | |
| Still glows the grand Ideal on before!— | |
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| Which all thy best achievements doth degrade, | 90 |
| Thy boasted virtues dwarfs, and makes to fade, | |
| Yea pass into complete eclipse and shade. | |
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| Ev’n he who such high eminence had gained | |
| Yet counted not that aught was yet attained, | |
| But onward to the goal with ardour strained,— | 95 |
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| Reckoning his reach but as the starting-place, | |
| Whence to pursue the spirit’s boundless race; | |
| Of life’s grand edifice but laid the base. | |
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| E’en saints on high with heavenly honours crowned | |
| Their crowns of glory cast upon the ground, | 100 |
| Not otherwise loyal and faultless found. | |
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| Great is the goal, the guerdon ’fore thee set, | |
| No self-complacence must thy progress let, | |
| Press boldly on, the things behind forget; | |
| Part with thy past, let go! | 105 |
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(Section XXI) This moment’s thine, thou never more may’st hear | |
| The clarion-summons-call thus loud and clear; | |
| What now thou buyest cheap may yet prove dear. | |
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| Part with thine all, spare not the needed cost; | |
| That which thou partest with were better lost, | 110 |
| Thy selfish worldly schemes more wisely crossed. | |
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| Thy loss infinitesimal, thy gain | |
| Endless, immense; thy momentary pain | |
| The single step the boundless bliss to attain! | |
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| These idol loves that gender loveless lust— | 115 |
| Weighed in the balances, whose scales are just, | |
| With the bright hopes thou spurn’st—are breath-borne dust! | |
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| Eye hath not seen, man’s ear hath never heard, | |
| Nor heart conceived—save some faint image blurred— | |
| The bliss of those who keep the Christly word— | 120 |
| Let go; my soul, let go! | |
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