Poems (King)/The Angelus Bells

The Angelus Bells

SWIFT in her dizzy flight,
Half shadowed, half alight,
Doth wheel our planet on her curving way;
Chained to the mighty sun,
Ever her course doth run
This world of ours from darkness into day.

Venus, the evening star,
Gleameth in ether far,
Earth's fairest comrade of the planets seven;
Anon red Mars soft throws
A radiance like the rose,
The while it climbs the purple steep of heaven.

Hark! on the listening ear,
Silvery their tones and clear,
Now fall the voices of the Angelus bells;
O'er hill and mead they float,
As from the hermit's throat
A gush of rapturous melody upwells.

Over the whole earth round
Floateth the mellow sound,
With bird-like flutings sprinkling all the air;
Softly their pealings sweet
Gabriel's great words repeat—
"Hail! Mary, thou of maidens art most fair."

Yes, the all holy Son,
Christ, thy pure heart hath won,
And lo! descending from His starry throne
To lift a fallen race
And man's first sin efface,
From heaven He comes to claim thee for His own.

So doth the Angelus-peal
Forever round earth steal,
Girding our planet with a music-zone;
Or with melodious waves
The happy earth it laves,
Till daylight dies, or darksome night hath flown.

Mary, fair lily-Maid,
Ever in grace arrayed,
For thee the bells fling wide their magic call;
In fateful hour of need,
If thou for sinners plead,
They not in vain at Mercy's throne will fall.