I

The solemn, soundless music
Of the sun’s setting reverberates
Along the low red cloud-reefs,

And the last echoing reflections
Of his great incandescence
Diminish among the mountain-tops,

As the sky’s ebbing harmonies
Die down in modulations
Of gold and red to red-gold,

Old gold, pale gold, gold-veiled
Lingering pearl-greyness,
Grey silence of sleep.

The mountains stand round about
Like sable-vestured chorus,
Until they are swallowed up
In the all-encompassing dark.

II

But see! from the deepening dark
Of the dumb and slumbering plain,
Sudden a new song springs;
Gold lights on the plain
Suddenly gleam and quiver,
Suddenly, over all the plain
Glimmer, now, golden lights.

As instruments with strings
Quiver, as dreaming reeds
Gleam, soft, in symphonies,
On the wide orchestral plain,
From the foot-hills to the sea’s
Margin, bright companies,
Choirs of golden lights.

O glittering harmony!
O tranquil jubilee!
The lamp-set champaign sings!
A thousand golden lights
Gleam, a thousand sparks
Glow, out of the deepening dark
Now, the deepening night.

III

And out of the deepening dark
Of night, above and beyond,
Calm antiphonal stars
Now from on high respond;
And the music of the spheres
Out of the depths and heights
Hails, to vigilant ears,
Flickering human phares;
Greater and lesser lights
All in their measure set,
Proud imperial orbs
Answering by name,
By note in the vast accord;
Stars that moons beget,
Planets of magnitude
Earth’s murmurings amplify;
In fiery celsitude
Suns to sun reply;
Flames to ordered flame,
Lights to stedfast light,
Stars to serene star,
Into the profound, far
Distances of night.

IV

Were you not wont, early illumined Christians,
To sing, at the time of lamp-lighting, hymns of confident praise?
Now should a high seraph, sounding his silver clarion,
Echoing in heaven’s vaults these lamp-kindling lauds,
Summon melodious shouts of bright clair-audient angels
Because the All-wise, All-merciful, All-compassionate
Father of Lights, in whom is no shadow of turning,
Has laid the foundations of all universes secure.

Sleep by the shrouded mountains, now, pastoral ministers,
While the Shepherd of Israel musters his flock of suns and moons,
Sleep by the hidden rivers, now, fervent industrials,
While the Master of Music weaves with his time-space looms;
Sleep, now, peering philosophers, venturing physicists,
The Lord of Love his alembic allumes, his crucible glows;
The watchers and holy ones of our darkness are cognisant,
But no shadow of night their lucid vigil knows.

V

Praise, praise to thee, Almighty Artificer, Architect,
Poet, whose pure inexhaustible spring eternally flows,
Artist, whose marvellous works eternally are made manifest,
Eternally making, in making, eternally finding repose.
Praise to the All; the One; Ineffable; and Intimate;
Calling thy stars, thy souls, thy least electrons by name;
For thine, as ours, the human heart that beat upon Olivet
Under these same stars, and thine the unquenchable flame
Of love in that heart.… The city lights of Jerusalem
Burned low.… beloved, pitiless city of light
Put out, put out; but in pity, on high to be lit again,
For the price of the heart broken, the life put out for a night,
But mightily rising, rising again, and prevailing mightily.…
Light of lights, Lamp of the City, Orient blaze
Of glorious splendour, on us shed forth thy golden rays!
In thy light our lights are consumed, and yet not utterly,
Night after night, in peace, amen, we hymn thy praise.

VI

Still the gold lights quiver
By hidden sea and river;

From the dim arena below
Shines their concerted glow;

And the bright stars answer still
Over above the hill.

The deep dome overhead
Is fully furnishéd

With lamps, and they are lit
To the outmost bounds of it.

And each mighty spark
Sheds its gentle light
Into the silent dark,
The silent night,
On and on, through the dark, the silent night.