Terrific bard! and mighty--in thy strain
A torrent of inspiring passion sounds--
Whether for cities by the Almighty cursed,
Thy wail arose--or, on enormous crimes
That darken'd heav'n with supernat'ral gloom,
Thy flash of indignation fell, alike
The feelings quiver when thy voice awakes!--
Borne in the whirlwind of a dreadful song,
The spirit travels round the destin'd globe,
While shadows, cast from solemn years to come,
Fall round us, and we feel a God is nigh!
But when a gladness from thy music flows,
Creation brightens!--glory paints the sky,
The Sun hath got an everlasting smile,
And Earth in temper'd for immortal spring--
The lion smoothes his ruffled mane, the lamb
And wolf together feed, and by the den
Of serpents, see! the rosy infant play.