William
Wordsworth
Ode to Duty
Stern
Daughter of the Voice of God!
O Duty! if that name thou love
Who art a light to guide, a rod
To check the erring, and reprove;
Thou, who art victory and
law
5
When empty terrors overawe;
From vain temptations does set free;
And calm'st the weary strife of frail humanity!
There
are who ask not if thine eye
Be on them; who, in love and
truth,
10
Where no misgiving is, rely
Upon the genial sense of youth:
Glad Hearts! without reproach or blot;
Who do thy work, and know it not:
Oh! if through confidence
misplaced 15
They fail, thy saving arms, dread Power! around them cast.
Serene
will be our days and bright,
And happy will our nature be,
When love is an unerring light,
And joy its own
security. 20
And they a blissful course may hold
Even now, who, not unwisely bold,
Live in the spirit of this creed;
Yet seek thy firm support, according to their need.
I,
loving freedom, and
untried; 25
No sport of every random gust,
Yet being to myself a guide,
Too blindly have reposed by trust:
And oft, when in my heart was heard
Thy timely mandate, I
deferred 30
The task, in smoother walks to stray;
But I now would serve more strictly, if I may.
Through
no disturbance of my soul,
Or strong compunction in me wrought,
I supplicate for thy
control; 35
But in the quietness of thought:
Me this unchartered freedom tires;
I feel the weight of chance-desires:
My hopes no more must change their name,
I long for a repose that ever is the
same. 40
Stern
Lawgiver! yet thou dost wear
The Godhead's most benignant grace;
Nor know we anything so fair
As is the smile upon thy face:
Flowers laugh before thee on their
beds 45
And fragrance in thy footing treads;
Thou dost preserve the stars from wrong;
And the most ancient heavens, through Thee, are fresh and strong.
To
humbler functions, awful Power!
I call thee: I myself
commend 50
Unto thy guidance from this hour;
Oh, let my weakness have an end!
Give unto me, made lowly wise,
The spirit of self-sacrifice;
The confidence of reason
give; 55
And in the light of truth thy Bondman let me live!
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