Book 2 — HYMN BEFORE SUN-RISE, IN THE VALE OF CHAMOUNI[376:2]
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HYMN BEFORE SUN-RISE, IN THE VALE OF CHAMOUNI[376:2]
Besides the Rivers, Arve and Arveiron, which have their sources in the foot of Mont Blanc, five conspicuous torrents rush down its sides; and within a few paces of the Glaciers, the Gentiana Major grows in immense numbers, with its 'flowers of loveliest [liveliest Friend, 1809] blue.'
Hast thou a charm to stay the morning-star In his steep course? So long he seems to pause On thy bald awful head, O sovran Blanc, [377]The Arve and Arveiron at thy base Rave ceaselessly; but thou, most awful Form! 5 Risest from forth thy silent sea of pines, How silently! Around thee and above Deep is the air and dark, substantial, black, An ebon mass: methinks thou piercest it, As with a wedge! But when I look again, 10 It is thine own calm home, thy crystal shrine, Thy habitation from eternity! O dread and silent Mount! I gazed upon thee, Till thou, still present to the bodily sense, Didst vanish from my thought: entranced in prayer 15 I worshipped the Invisible alone. Yet, like some sweet beguiling melody, [378]So sweet, we know not we are listening to it, Thou, the meanwhile, wast blending with my Thought, Yea, with my Life and Life's own secret joy: 20 Till the dilating Soul, enrapt, transfused, Into the mighty vision passing—there As in her natural form, swelled vast to Heaven! Awake, my soul! not only passive praise Thou owest! not alone these swelling tears, 25 Mute thanks and secret ecstasy! Awake, Voice of sweet song! Awake, my heart, awake! Green vales and icy cliffs, all join my Hymn. Thou first and chief, sole sovereign of the Vale! O struggling with the darkness all the night,[378:1] 30 And visited all night by troops of stars, Or when they climb the sky or when they sink: Companion of the morning-star at dawn, Thyself Earth's rosy star, and of the dawn Co-herald: wake, O wake, and utter praise! 35 Who sank thy sunless pillars deep in Earth? Who filled thy countenance with rosy light? Who made thee parent of perpetual streams? And you, ye five wild torrents fiercely glad! Who called you forth from night and utter death, 40 From dark and icy caverns called you forth, [379]Down those precipitous, black, jagged rocks, For ever shattered and the same for ever? Who gave you your invulnerable life, Your strength, your speed, your fury, and your joy, 45 Unceasing thunder and eternal foam? And who commanded (and the silence came), Here let the billows stiffen, and have rest? Ye Ice-falls! ye that from the mountain's brow Adown enormous ravines slope amain— 50 Torrents, methinks, that heard a mighty voice, And stopped at once amid their maddest plunge! Motionless torrents! silent cataracts! Who made you glorious as the Gates of Heaven Beneath the keen full moon? Who bade the sun 55 Clothe you with rainbows? Who, with living flowers[379:1] Of loveliest blue, spread garlands at your feet?— God! let the torrents, like a shout of nations, Answer! and let the ice-plains echo, God! God! sing ye meadow-streams with gladsome voice! 60 Ye pine-groves, with your soft and soul-like sounds! And they too have a voice, yon piles of snow, And in their perilous fall shall thunder, God! Ye living flowers that skirt the eternal frost! Ye wild goats sporting round the eagle's nest! 65 [380]Ye eagles, play-mates of the mountain-storm! Ye lightnings, the dread arrows of the clouds! Ye signs and wonders of the element! Utter forth God, and fill the hills with praise! Thou too, hoar Mount! with thy sky-pointing peaks, 70 Oft from whose feet the avalanche,[380:1] unheard, Shoots downward, glittering through the pure serene Into the depth of clouds, that veil thy breast— Thou too again, stupendous Mountain! thou That as I raise my head, awhile bowed low 75 In adoration, upward from thy base Slow travelling with dim eyes suffused with tears, Solemnly seemest, like a vapoury cloud, To rise before me—Rise, O ever rise, Rise like a cloud of incense from the Earth! 80 Thou kingly Spirit throned among the hills, Thou dread ambassador from Earth to Heaven, Great Hierarch! tell thou the silent sky, And tell the stars, and tell yon rising sun Earth, with her thousand voices, praises God. 85
1802.
FOOTNOTES:
LINENOTES:
Title] Chamouny The Hour before Sunrise A Hymn M. P., P. R.: Mount Blanc, The Summit of the Vale of Chamouny, An Hour before Sunrise: A Hymn MS. A.
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3
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On thy bald awful head O Chamouny M. P., P. R.: On thy bald awful top O Chamouny MS. A: On thy bald awful top O Sovran Blanc Friend, 1809.
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4
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Arve] Arvè M. P., P. R., MS. (C).
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5
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dread mountain form M. P., P. R., MS. A. most] dread Friend, 1809.
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6
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forth] out MS. A.
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8
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Deep is the sky, and black: transpicuous, deep M. P., P. R.: Deep is the sky, and black! transpicuous, black. MS. A.
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11
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is thine] seems thy M. P., P. R.
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13
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Mount] form M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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14
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the bodily sense] my bodily eye M. P., P. R.: my bodily sense MS. A.
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16
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Invisible] Invisible M. P., P. R., Friend, 1809, MS. A.
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17
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Yet thou meantime, wast working on my soul, E'en like some deep enchanting melody
M. P., P. R., MS. A.
19 foll.
But [Now MS. A] I awake, and with a busier mind, And active will self-conscious, offer now Not as before, involuntary pray'r And passive adoration! Hand and voice, Awake, awake! and thou, my heart, awake! Awake ye rocks! Ye forest pines awake! (Not in MS. A.) Green fields
M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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29-30
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And thou, O silent Mountain, sole and bare O blacker than the darkness all the night
M. P., P. R.
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And thou, thou silent mountain, lone and bare MS. A. The first and chief, stern Monarch of the Vale Errata to 'Hymn', &c., The Friend, No. XIII, Nov. 16, 1809.
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38
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parent] father M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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From darkness let you loose and icy dens M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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46
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Eternal thunder and unceasing foam MS. A.
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48
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'Here shall the billows . . .' M. P., P. R.: Here shall your billows MS. A.
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49
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the mountain's brow] yon dizzy heights M. P., P. R.
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50
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Adown enormous ravines steeply slope M. P., P. R., MS. A. [A bad line; but I hope to be able to alter it Note to MS. A].
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with lovely flowers Of living blue
M. P., P. R., MS. A.
Between 58-64
God! God! the torrents like a shout of nations Utter! the ice-plain bursts and answers God! God, sing the meadow-streams with gladsome voice, And pine-groves with their soft and soul-like sound, The silent snow-mass, loos'ning thunders God!
M. P., P. R.
These lines were omitted in MS. A.
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64
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Ye dreadless flow'rs that fringe M. P., P. R. living] azure MS. A. livery S. L. (corrected in Errata, p. [xi]).
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65
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sporting round] bounding by M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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66
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mountain-storm] mountain blast M. P., P. R.
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69
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God] God. M. P., P. R.
Between 70-80
And thou, O silent Form, alone and bare Whom, as I lift again my head bow'd low In adoration, I again behold, And to thy summit upward from thy base Sweep slowly with dim eyes suffus'd by tears, Awake thou mountain form! rise, like a cloud
M. P., P. R.
And thou thou silent mountain, lone and bare Whom as I lift again my head bow'd low In adoration, I again behold! And from thy summit upward to the base Sweep slowly, with dim eyes suffus'd with tears Rise, mighty form! even as thou seem'st to rise.
MS. A.
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70
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Thou too] And thou, Errata, Friend, No. XIII. Once more, hoar Mount MS. (C), S. L. (For once more, read Thou too Errata, S. L., p. [xi]).
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72
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through] in Friend, 1809. In the blue serene MS. (C).
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74
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again] once more MS. (C).
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75
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That as once more I raise my Head bow'd low Friend, No. XI, 1809 (see the Errata, No. XIII).
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83-4
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tell thou the silent stars, Tell the blue sky
MS. A.
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84
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yon] the M. P., P. R., MS. A.
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85
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praises] calls on M. P., P. R., MS. A.