Alfred, Lord Tennyson(1809–1892)
Sonnet 54
O h y e t w e t r u s t t h a t s o m e h o w g o o d
W i l l b e t h e f i n a l g o a l o f ill,
T o p a n g s o f n a t u r e , s i n s o f will,
D e f e c t s o f d o u b t , a n d t a i n t s o f b l o o d ;
T h a t n o t h i n g w a l k s w i t h a i m l e s s f e e t ;
T h a t n o t o n e l i f e s h a l l b e d e s t r o y e d ,
O r c a s t a s r u b b i s h t o t h e v o i d ,
W h e n G o d h a t h m a d e t h e p i l e c o m p l e t e ;
T h a t n o t a w o r m i s c l o v e n i n v a i n ;
That not a moth with vain desire
Is s h r i v e l e d in a f r u i t l e s s fire,
O r b u t s u b s e r v e s a n o t h e r ' s g a i n .
B e h o l d , w e k n o w n o t a n y t h i n g ;
I c a n b u t t r u s t t h a t g o o d s h a l l fall
At l a s t — f a r o f f — a t last, to all,
A n d e v e r y w i n t e r c h a n g e t o s p r i n g .
S o r u n s m y d r e a m : b u t w h a t a m I ?
A n i n f a n t c r y i n g i n t h e n i g h t :
A n i n f a n t c r y i n g f o r t h e light:
A n d w i t h no l a n g u a g e b u t a cry.