[Editor: This religious poem by L. E. Homfray, about the birth of Jesus Christ, was published in The Robertson Advocate (Robertson, NSW), 17 December 1920.]
The Christmas Vision.
Long we searched through every palace,
Where the royal princes dwell,
Seeking for the King of Heaven,
He of whom the angels tell.
Where the great, and high and learned,
Live in wealth and splendour grand,
Where the rulers of the people
In the Courts of Justice stand.
Yet, in vain we sought to find Him
As we journeyed ever on,
Till at last we chanced to follow
Where a star in glory shone.
Then within a manger sleeping
We beheld the Infant Child,
For whose sake, and by whose mercy
Earth and Heaven are reconciled.
Not a sign of wealth or splendour
Shone around His Infant Head,
Poor and humble was His dwelling
Cold and mean His cradle bed.
Yet, in deepest awe and wonder
Low we fell on bended knee,
For our eyes beheld a vision
Veiled beneath His poverty.
Men with hearts grown hard and selfish
Striving for the wealth they prize,
Turned away in shame and sorrow
From that Infant’s sinless eyes.
Erring women sorely tempted
Breathed a long forgotten prayer
As they stopped to gaze a moment
On the Babe and mother fair.
There the mourners bowed in sorrow
By the guiding star were led,
And their burdens all were lightened
Kneeling at His lowly bed.
Holy Jesu, God Incarnate
Give us Thy humility,
May we ne’er forget the vision
Of Thy helpless Infancy.
L. E. Homfray, Bowral.
Source:
The Robertson Advocate (Robertson, NSW), 17 December 1920, p. 2
Also published in:
The Southern Mail (Bowral, NSW), 17 December 1920, p. 2
Editor’s notes:
Jesu = (archaic) an alternative poetic spelling of “Jesus”
ne’er = (vernacular) an archaic contraction of “never”
thy = (archaic) your
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