In my most loving arms I now enfold thee,
And, o'er the penal waters, as they roll,
I poise thee, and I lower thee, and hold thee. 900
And carefully I dip thee in the lake,[36]
And thou, without a sob or a resistance,
Dost through the flood thy rapid passage take,
Sinking deep, deeper into the dim distance.
Angels, to whom the willing task is given,
Shall tend, and nurse, and lull thee, as thou liest;
And Masses on the earth, and prayers in heaven,
Shall aid thee at the Throne of the Most Highest.
Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear,
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow; 910
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
[11] As suggested in the Introduction, the musical character
of the verse of "The Dream of Gerontius" is brought out more and more
by careful study of the changes of the meaning of the poem and their
expression. "The Dream" is a series of lyrics,--each lyric voicing
its own feeling and sensitively tuned to that feeling. According to
the scansion most in use in English, the first supplicating lyric may
be classed as in pentameter iambic. Gerontius is yet in the body, and
the rime, used solemnly, marks a difference--which has a delicate
symbolism--between his utterances in the body and his utterances when
his soul has left the body. What we call blank verse is used by the
Spirit--rime disappears, but the rhythm remains the same. Using
verse-notation, we find five accented notes in each line, if we
consider the lines at all. There are two quarter-notes in each bar,
which may be written as
[Illustration]
[12] (p. 25.) Gerontius dreams that he is dying. He has not strength to
pray. He hears the persons near his bed praying for him, in the
language prescribed by the Church, "The Litany for the Dying." The
three opening invocations are in Greek, "Kyrie Eleison" ("Lord, have
mercy"), "Christe Eleison" ("Christ, have mercy"), "Kyrie Eleison"
("Lord, have mercy"). The next invocation in the Litany is "Sancta
Maria, Ora pro eo," which Cardinal Newman translates into English.
With the exception of the first three and the last two invocations,
the Litany is in Latin. The Litany is too long for the purpose of the
poem, and the author has translated into English some of the
invocations that would naturally strike the "fainting soul." "Be
merciful" ("Propitius esto"), the assistants continue, still using
parts of the Litany as versified by Cardinal Newman.
[13] "_Kyrie EleÔson_," etc. The poet has retained the
sound-form used in the Prayer-books, and he shows his musical taste
by not changing it.
[14] "_Rouse thee_," etc. Gerontius concentrates all his vitality. The
effect is of nervous energy. The time is quickened and alternately
slowed.
[15] "_Be merciful_," etc. The Assistants begin with the
solemn chant of the Church, and change to the supplication of anxious
human hearts:
[Illustration]
or
[Illustration]
[16] "_Sanctus fortis_, _Sanctus Deus_," etc. This is the
ecstasy of faith, hope, and love. It is three Acts in one, rapidly
and forcibly expressed. The energy and strength of self-forgetfulness
fail when he, still in the body, sighs:
"I can no more; for now it comes again,"--
[Illustration]