Friday, December 26, 2014

In Memoriam by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. 

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true. 

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind. 

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler forms of life,
With sweeter manners, nobler laws. 

Ring out the want, the cares, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes 
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good. 

Ring out of shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace. 

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ to be. 







1 comment:

Rambling Woods said...

Much to ring out and much to ring in