The Magi to the Star

I. Thanksgiving.     Star, on thy Heaven-returning way,     Our message of thanksgiving bear;     To Him who answered with thy ray     The priestless Gentiles trembling prayer.     When songs of revel shook the roof,     God, Thou didst cheer the joyless course,     Where we, like Vashti, walked aloof,     Braving the worlds unjust divorce.     How rate we now all griefs and scorn     That filled our youth with bitterness!     We had not known the Christ is born     But that we sought for One to bless! II. Prayer.     Fence Thou Thy Child, O Merciful,     When hate shall cavil at His worth;     When underlings like Haman rule     Hold Thou the golden sceptre forth.     When envy round Thy Precious One     Its tongues of scorching flame hath curled,     Unwasted let His virtue run     From the sore furnace of the world     To fill a new Colossus-mould.     When tireless unbelief hath sent;     Thy truest Image to the cold     Pure mountain-tops of banishment,     Give then, O God, Thy light, to break     Through all earths valleys cramped and dim,     That after-times may see, and take     Their heroes measurement from Him! III. Farewell.     A new horizons dim blue ring     Around our watch-fire shall be cast,     New stars replace the vanishing,     To-morrows homeward travel past.     Word-bringer, now thine embassy     Is closed, thou stayest not to fill     A lowlier office. Thou shalt be     Soon mid the angels, shining still!     One priceless pearl of upper sea,     One matchless gem of heavens rich mine;     Within the place once held by thee     God send no after-light to shine!     Yet, foremost of the host of gold,     Long-followed, thou wast never sent,     A glimpse of what the Heavens enfold,     To darken earth with discontent!     Star of the Promised! Streaming on     Through Times long night, though thou must set,     Thy light shall spread, when thou art gone,     Oer sunless lands we see not yet!