Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Christmas Gifts lyrics
[Elizabeth Barrett Browning - Christmas Gifts lyrics]
The Pope on Christmas Day
Sit's in Saint Peter’s chair
But the peoples murmur and say
"Our souls are sick and forlorn
And who will show us where
Is the stable where Christ was born?"
The star is lost in the dark
The manger is lost in the straw
The Christ cries faintly hark!
Through bands that swaddle and strangle
But the Pope in the chair of awe
Looks down the great quadrangle
The Magi kneel at his foot
Kings of the East and West
But, instead of the angels (mute
Is the "Peace on earth" of their song)
The peoples, perplexed and opprest
Are sighing "How long, how long?"
And, instead of the kine, bewilder in
Shadow of aisle and dome
The bear who tore up the children
The fox who burnt up the corn
And the wolf who suckled at Rome
Brothers to slay and to scorn
Cardinals left and right of him
Worshippers round and beneath
The silver trumpets at sight of him
Thrill with a musical blast:
But the people say through their teeth
"Trumpets? we wait for the Last!"
He sit's in the place of the Lord
And asks for the gifts of the time
Gold, for the haft of a sword
To win back Romagna averse
Incense, to sweeten a crime
And myrrh, to embitter a curse
Then a king of the West said "Good!
I bring thee the gifts of the time
Red, for the patriot’s blood
Green, for the martyr’s crown
White, for the dew and the rime
When the morning of God comes down"
O mystic tricolor bright!
The Pope’s heart quailed like a man’s
The cardinals froze at the sight
Bowing their tonsures hoary:
And the eyes in the peacock-fans
Winked at the alien glory
But the peoples exclaimed in hope
"Now blessed be he who has brought
These gifts of the time to the Pope
When our souls were sick and forlorn
And here is the star we sought
To show us where Christ was born!"
Sit's in Saint Peter’s chair
But the peoples murmur and say
"Our souls are sick and forlorn
And who will show us where
Is the stable where Christ was born?"
The star is lost in the dark
The manger is lost in the straw
The Christ cries faintly hark!
Through bands that swaddle and strangle
But the Pope in the chair of awe
Looks down the great quadrangle
The Magi kneel at his foot
Kings of the East and West
But, instead of the angels (mute
Is the "Peace on earth" of their song)
The peoples, perplexed and opprest
Are sighing "How long, how long?"
And, instead of the kine, bewilder in
Shadow of aisle and dome
The bear who tore up the children
The fox who burnt up the corn
And the wolf who suckled at Rome
Brothers to slay and to scorn
Cardinals left and right of him
Worshippers round and beneath
The silver trumpets at sight of him
Thrill with a musical blast:
But the people say through their teeth
"Trumpets? we wait for the Last!"
He sit's in the place of the Lord
And asks for the gifts of the time
Gold, for the haft of a sword
To win back Romagna averse
Incense, to sweeten a crime
And myrrh, to embitter a curse
Then a king of the West said "Good!
I bring thee the gifts of the time
Red, for the patriot’s blood
Green, for the martyr’s crown
White, for the dew and the rime
When the morning of God comes down"
O mystic tricolor bright!
The Pope’s heart quailed like a man’s
The cardinals froze at the sight
Bowing their tonsures hoary:
And the eyes in the peacock-fans
Winked at the alien glory
But the peoples exclaimed in hope
"Now blessed be he who has brought
These gifts of the time to the Pope
When our souls were sick and forlorn
And here is the star we sought
To show us where Christ was born!"