English

Great Gawd, I'm feelin' bad,
I ain't got the man that I thought I had!

" Great father Alighier, if from the skies
This thy disciple prostrate thou dost see
Before thy gravestone, shaken with deep sighs,
O turn thou not in wrathfulness from me!
O of thy kindness, favoring pure desires,
Illuminate me with a ray of thine;
Must who to pristine, deathless fame aspires
Take arms 'gainst envy and each fell design? "
" I did so, son, to my great sorrow, for
Thereby the names of men too vile to tread
Under my feet are heard for evermore.
If thou dost trust in me, why droop thy head?

Great churches aren't built of stone and steel,
Of mortar, brick and sand;
They rise from human hearts that feel
And love and understand.

Their greatest treasures are not kept
In guarded banks or vaults,
But in the will that never slept
Until it cured its faults.

Great churches don't happen; they are built
By people large and small
Who press their fortunes to the hilt,
Respond to duty's call.

Was spring at Naniwa
in Tsu Province
a dream?
Wind blows
over the withered reeds' leaves.

Great big dog,
Head upon his toes;
Tiny little bee
Settles on his noes.

Great big dog
Thinks it is a fly.
Never says a word,
Winks very sly.

Tiny little bee,
Tickles dog's nose—
Thinks like as not
'Tis a pretty rose.

Dog smiles a smile,
Winks his other eye,
Chuckles to himself
How he'll catch a fly.

Then he makes a snap,
Very quick and spry,
Does his level best,
But doesn't catch the fly.

Tiny little bee,
Alive and looking well;

The gray waves rock against the gray skyline,
And break complaining on the long gray sand,
Here where I sit, who cannot understand
Their voice of pain, nor this dumb pain of mine;

For I, who thought to fare till my days end,
Armed sorrow-proof in sorrow, having known
How hearts bleed slow when brave lips make no moan,
How Life can torture, how Death may befriend

When Love entreats him hasten, — even I,
Who feared no human anguish that may be,
I cannot bear the loud grief of the sea,

The gray tide flows and flounders in the rocks
Along the crannies up the swollen sand.
Far out the reefs lie naked — dunes and blocks
Low in the watery wind. A shaft of land
Going to sea thins out the western strand.

It rains, and all along and always gulls
Career sea-screaming in and weather-glossed.
It blows here, pushing round the cliff; in lulls
Within the humid stone a motion lost
Ekes out the flurried heart-beat of the coast.

It blows and rains a pale and whirling mist

Gray swept the angry waves
O'er the gallant and the true,
Rolled high in mounded graves
O'er the stately frigate's crew —
Over cannon, over deck,
Over all that ghastly wreck, —
When the Cumberland went down.

Such a roar the waters rent
As though a giant died,
When the wailing billows went
Above those heroes tried;
And the sheeted foam leaped high,
Like white ghosts against the sky, —
As the Cumberland went down.

O shrieking waves that gushed
Above that loyal band,

D E gray owl sing fum de chimbly top:
" Who — who — is — you-oo? "
En I say: " Good Lawd, hit 's des po' me,
En I ain't quite ready fer de Jasper Sea;
I 'm po' en sinful, en you 'lowed I 'd be;
Oh, wait, good Lawd, 'twell ter-morror! "

De gray owl sing fum de cypress tree:
" Who — who — is — you-oo? "
En I say: " Good Lawd, ef you look you 'll see
Hit ain't nobody but des po' me,
En I like ter stay 'twell my time is free;
Oh, wait, good Lawd, 'twell ter-morror! "

1. The gray hills taught me patience, The waters taught me prayer; The
2. The calm skies made me quiet, The high stars made me still; The
flight of birds unfolded The marvel of thy care.
bolts of thunder taught me The lightning of thy will!

3. Thy soul is on the tempest,
Thy courage rides the air!
Through heaven or hell I'll follow;
I must, and so I dare!