Christina Rossetti(1830–1894)
Passing Away, Saith the World, Passing Away
Passing Away, Saith the World, Passing Away
Chances, beauty and youth sapped day by day:
Thy life never continueth in one stay.
Is the eye waxen dim, is the dark hair changing to gray
That hath won neither laurel nor bay 5
I shall c l o t h e m y s e l f in S p r i n g a n d b u d in May:
Thou, root-stricken, shalt not rebuild thy decay
On my bosom for aye.
T h e n I a n s w e r e d : Yea.
Passing away, saith my Soul, passing away:
With its burden of fear and hope, of labor and play;
Hearken what the past doth witness and say:
Rust in thy gold, a moth is in thine array,
A canker is in thy bud, thy leaf must decay.
At midnight, at cockcrow, at morning, one certain day
Lo the bridegroom shall come and shall not delay:
Watch thou and pray.
T h e n I a n s w e r e d : Yea.
Passing away, saith my God, passing away:
Winter passeth after the long delay:
New grapes on the vine, new figs on the tender spray,
Turtle calleth turtle in Heaven's May.
Tho' I tarry, wait for Me, trust Me, watch and pray.
Arise, come away, night is past and lo it is day,
My love, My sister, My spouse, thou shalt hear Me say.
T h e n I a n s w e r e d : Yea.
1862