Life's Voyage
Dublin Core
Title
Description
Softly blow the breezes;
Let the light bark onward float,Where the zephyr pleases.
Though the mountain's ponderous brow,
Casts its shadow o'er us;
Yet the valley's sunny glow,Is beaming bright before us.
See, our sail is filling fast!
Unlash the cords that bind her;
Our graceful skiff with slender mast,Soon leaves the shores behind her!
Hill and dale and shady bower,
To our view advancing;
Lowly hovel, and lordly tower,In the sun beam glancing.
Now we hear the jocund song,
Of the lusty reaper;
Now, from yonder mournful throng,Wailings of the weeper.
See yon gay and beauteous bower,
In the sun-light glowing;
And the fragment shrub and flower,In its shadow growing.
O! ye breezes cease to blow;
Stay, O rippling river;
Though fain to linger we onward go,"Tis gone, 'tis gone for ever!
Thus adown the stream of life,
Time our bark is guiding;
Through scenes of pleasure and of strife,Onward ceaseless gliding!
On alike through weal and woe -
On through joy and sorrow -
How quickly come! how quickly go,Noon, and night, and morrow!
Come we to some fragrant vale,
Fondly would we linger;
But the fresh winds press the sail;Time's relentless finger,
Onward points - and as we go,
Memory's pencil only,
Can faintly paint the gorgeous glow,Of scenes so loved and lonely.
Hill and dale how soon they're gone,
In this ceaseless motion!
Winds and waves still urge us on,Onward to the ocean!
Thus along life's gliding wave,
Morn, and noon, and eve'n,
To the dark insatiate grave,Forward all are driven.
Nor stop we there; still on we go,
Never, never ceasing -
On in joy or on in woe;In infinite progression.
Soon our bounding bark will pass,
To the gulf of wailing;
Or soon be on the sea of glass,In heaven's own sunshine sailing.
Gracious Spirit, in this vale,
Give us favoring breezes!
Mighty Maker, trim our sail;Hold the helm, O Jesus!
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