| |
| IT was the calm and silent night!— | |
| Seven hundred years and fifty-three | |
| Had Rome been growing up to might, | |
| And now was Queen of land and sea! | |
| No sound was heard of clashing wars; | 5 |
| Peace brooded o’er the hush’d domain; | |
| Apollo, Pallas, Jove and Mars | |
| Held undisturb’d their ancient reign, | |
| In the solemn midnight, | |
| Centuries ago! | 10 |
| |
| ’Twas in the calm and silent night! | |
| The senator of haughty Rome | |
| Impatient urged his chariot’s flight | |
| From lordly revel rolling home. | |
| Triumphal arches gleaming swell | 15 |
| His breast with thought of boundless sway. | |
| What reck’d the Roman what befell | |
| A paltry province far away, | |
| In the solemn midnight, | |
| Centuries ago? | 20 |
| |
| Within that province far away | |
| Went plodding home a weary boor: | |
| A streak of light before him lay, | |
| Fall’n thro’ a half-shut stable door | |
| Across his path. He pass’d—for naught | 25 |
| Told what was going on within: | |
| How keen the stars! his only thought; | |
| The air how cold and calm and thin, | |
| In the solemn midnight | |
| Centuries ago! | 30 |
| |
| O strange indifference!—low and high | |
| Drowsed over common joys and cares: | |
| The earth was still—but knew not why; | |
| The world was listening—unawares; | |
| How calm a moment may precede | 35 |
| One that shall thrill the world for ever! | |
| To that still moment none would heed | |
| Man’s doom was link’d, no more to sever, | |
| In the solemn midnight | |
| Centuries ago. | 40 |
| |
| It is the calm and solemn night! | |
| A thousand bells ring out and throw | |
| Their joyous peals abroad, and smite | |
| The darkness, charm’d and holy now! | |
| The night that erst no name had worn, | 45 |
| To it a happy name is given; | |
| For in that stable lay new-born | |
| The peaceful Prince of Earth and Heaven, | |
| In the solemn midnight | |
| Centuries ago. | 50 |
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