Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904. | | | | I. The Divine Element—(God, Christ, the Holy Spirit) | | Ode: “The spacious firmament on high” | | Joseph Addison (1672–1719) |
| | From “The Spectator”
THE SPACIOUS firmament on high, | |
| With all the blue ethereal sky, | |
| And spangled heavens, a shining frame, | |
| Their great Original proclaim; | |
| The unwearied sun, from day to day, | 5 |
| Does his Creator’s power display, | |
| And publishes to every land | |
| The work of an Almighty hand. | |
| |
| Soon as the evening shades prevail, | |
| The moon takes up the wondrous tale, | 10 |
| And nightly to the listening earth | |
| Repeats the story of her birth; | |
| While all the stars that round her burn, | |
| And all the planets in their turn, | |
| Confirm the tidings as they roll, | 15 |
| And spread the truth from pole to pole. | |
| |
| What though, in solemn silence, all | |
| Move round the dark terrestrial ball? | |
| What though no real voice or sound | |
| Amid their radiant orbs be found? | 20 |
| In Reason’s ear they all rejoice, | |
| And utter forth a glorious voice, | |
| Forever singing, as they shine, | |
| “The hand that made us is divine!” | | | | |
|
|
