Old and New

O

some­times gleams up­on our sight

Through pre­sent wrong

the Eter­nal Right!

And step by step

since time be­gan

We see the stea­dy gain of man.

That all of good the past hath had

Remains to make our own time glad

Our com­mon dai­ly life di­vine

And ev­ery land a Pal­es­tine.

We lack but op­en eye and ear

To find the Ori­ent’s mar­vels here

The still small voice in au­tumn’s hush

Yon ma­ple wood the burn­ing bush.

For still the new trans­cends the old

In signs and to­kens ma­ni­fold;

Slaves rise up men; the ol­ive waves

With roots deep set in bat­tle graves.

Through the harsh nois­es of our day

A low

sweet pre­lude finds its way;

Through clouds of doubt and creeds of fear

A light is break­ing

calm and clear.

Henceforth my heart shall sigh no more

For old­en time and ho­li­er shore;

God’s love and bless­ing

then and there

Are now

and here

and ev­ery­where.