Veiled Master, The
Why should our Trusting Surrender
Challenged by evil & loss?
Life issues only from darkness,
Crowns are but won from a cross.
All through the infinite gloom-world
God hath scattered His stars,
Night is their Etheope Mother,
Wheeling their diamonded cars.
Out of the slime of the fen-lands
Lily Nymphea was born—
Purity mingled with sweetness
Beauty right-regally worn!
War, the red nurse of the vulture—
Rapine & wrath in her vain—
Ruled by the Master, hath given
Order & Freedom to man,
Potencies, chemic & vital,
Brooding in darkness awhile,
Into a golden primitive
Ripen the deadly & vile.
He who was chief among sinners
Breathing out menace & death.
Called to be first of Apostles,
Planted the cross of our faith.
God in the soul of the Human
Lighted a spark of His own,
This an unquenchable atom,
Growing shall lead to the Throne.
This the true fire of perdition
Burning the vileness away
Over the ashes of Evil
Shineth resplendent as day.
God, the Eternal Beginning,
God the Eternal Result;
Doeth his will undefeated
Shadowed in chambers occult.
- Title
- Veiled Master, The
- First Line
- Why should our Trusting Surrender
- Creator
-
George Shepard Burleigh
- Bibliographic Citation
- George S. Burleigh Papers, 1825-1902. John Hay Library, Brown University. Miscellaneous Manuscripts, Box 2, "V" Folder, HA 1358
- Date
- 1899
- Comments
- Precise date noted as September 27, 1899 - second MS contains name of person to whom he was sending it
- A most interesting poem, about the unity of opposites and good coming from evil. Much more ambiguous than he usually is, and some nice turns of phrase
- Note on better manuscript indicates "Sent to F. Tarriton [?] Neely N.Y."
- There are two manuscripts in the collection at Brown University's Hay Library. The second one - the one he sent off for publication - is the better of the two, and the easier to read. This is the one used for this transcription.
- Rating
- ★★★★
- Media
-
The Veiled Master
