Beyond, the restless ocean, mysterious, vast, and dim, Whose changeful waves forever chant their grand triumphal hymn. Now tempest-lashed and raging, with deep and hungry roar, The foam-capped billows dash themselves in anger on the shore,
Now wavelets ripple gently along the quiet strand, While summer's sunshine broodeth soft o'er all the sea and land. O mighty waves! as chainless, as free, as birds that skim! There's One who rules the stormy sea--thy song is all of him.
And so in the shadowy forest the birds sing loud and sweet From swaying boughs where breezes rock their little broods to sleep. The golden cups of the cowslip spring from the mossy sod, And the sweet blue violet blooms alone--just for itself and God.
It is aye the same old lesson, from mountain, wood, and sea, The old, old story, ever new, and wondrous grand to me-- Of One who holds the waters in the hollow of his hand; Whose presence shone from mountain top in that far eastern land.
"The groves are God's own temples"; the wild birds sing his praise; And every flower in the forest dim its humble tribute pays; For God loves all his creatures, however weak and small; His grandest works give praise to him, for he is Lord of all.
We cannot make bargains for blisses, Nor catch them like fishes in nets; And sometimes the thing our life misses Helps more than the thing which it gets. For good lieth not in pursuing, Nor gaining of great nor of small, But just in the doing, and doing As we would be done by is all.
There's many a trouble Would break like a bubble, And into the waters of Lethe depart, Did we not rehearse it, And tenderly nurse it, And give it a permanent place in the heart.
There's many a sorrow Would vanish to-morrow Were we but willing to furnish the wings; So sadly intruding, And quietly brooding, It hatches out all sorts of horrible things.
How welcome the seeming Of looks that are beaming Whether one's wealthy or whether one's poor; Eyes bright as a berry, Cheeks red as a cherry, The groan and the curse and the heartache can cure.
Resolve to be merry, All worry to ferry Across the famed waters which bid us forget, And no longer fearful, But happy and cheerful, We feel life has much that's worth living for yet.