Meter 29

If thou desirest deeply to learn
The lofty power of the world’s Lord
With clear understanding, consider diligently
The stars of heaven, how they ever stand
In lasting peace ; long have they done so,
Even as the Prince of Glory hath prepared them
At their first forming, so that the fiery one,
The sun, may not approach the cold one’s path,
The moon’s marches. Lo! the mighty orbs
Cross not the one the course of the other
Until it hath fleeted far on its way.
Nor will that star e’er seek in its journey
The west of the heavens, to which wise men give
The name of Ursa. All other stars
After the sun sink with the heavens
Below earth’s base ; alone he bideth.
It is no wonder ; he is wondrously near
The higher axle-end of the heavenly sphere.
Then brightly beameth one star beyond others
That soareth in the east, the sun preceding ;
Him the sons of men star of the morning
Call under heaven ; he heraldeth day
To men in the boroughs ; then he bringeth
The glorious sun, the same day for all.
Fair and shining is the forerunner,
East up-leaping the sun he leadeth ;
And again after the sun to his setting glideth,
West under world. When night cometh,
His name the nations change for another,
And then they style him Star of evening.
More swift than the sun, once they have set,
He speedeth past him, that star all noble,
Until over again in the east he riseth,
To men appearing, the sun preceding.
Those noble orbs night from day
By the Lord’s power have fairly parted,

Sun and moon, in high peace moving
As from the first the Father appointed.
Thou needest not fear that these fair ones
Will ever be sated with this their service
Ere doomsday come. Therein He dealeth,
Mankind’s Maker, as Him meet seemeth ;
For he suffereth them not, the Sovran God,
To be at the same time on one side of heaven,
Lest they ruin the rest of creation.
But God Eternal all things guideth,
The broad creation, in bonds of peace.
Dryness sometimes driveth out wet;

Whiles they mingle, by the Master’s craft,
Cold and heat. To highest heaven
The flame all bright sometimes flieth
Light through the air, behind it leaving
The weight of the earthly, though for a while
The cold earth closely within herself kept it
Held and hidden by the might of the Holy,
By the King’s commandment. Each plant cometh,
Brought forth by earth every year,
And the heat of summer for the sons of men.
Every year yieldeth and drieth
O’er land’s wide surface seed and leaflet.
Harvest offereth to hands of mortals
Store of ripeness ; then rain and hailstorm
And snow too cometh, soaking the ground
In time of winter, when fierce is weather.
For earth receiveth every seed-grain,
And maketh it swell every season,
And in the spring-time leaves are sprouting.
But the kind Master for mankind’s children,
To all that groweth giveth nurture,
To fruits in the world ; bringeth them forth
When He chooseth, Chief of heaven,

And them discovereth to the dwellers on earth,
And anon removeth, mankind’s Saviour.
The Highest Good on His high-seat
Sole King sitteth, and this world spacious

Doth His service ; all His subjects
Thence He ruleth with His reins of leading.
No marvel is this ; He is God of multitudes,
King and Lord of all that liveth,
Fount and First Cause of all His creatures,

Maker and Worker of this our world,
Law and Wisdom for the livers therein,
All His creatures upon His errands
Hence He sendeth and hither biddeth.
Had He not stablish’d each so steady,

All His creatures, every one of them,
Breaking away had burst asunder,
In deadly hate had come to naught ;
Yea, like foes they had fallen apart,
Though one love only all things created
In heaven and earth have in common,
That such a Leader they serve together,
All of them fain that the Father ruleth,
No need for wonder, for no one thing
Could ever hope to hold its life
Unless all were serving their common Source,
With all their might, their glorious’ Master.