How shall he sing who hath no song? <br />He laugh who hath no mirth? <br />Will cannot wake the sleeping song! <br />Yea, Love itself in vain may long <br />To sing with them that have a song, <br />Or, mirthless, laugh with Mirth! <br />He who would sing but hath no song <br />Must speak the right, denounce the wrong, <br />Must humbly front the indignant throng, <br />Must yield his back to Satire's thong, <br />Nor shield his face from liar's prong, <br />Must say and do and be the truth, <br />And fearless wait for what ensueth, <br />Wait, wait, with patience sweet and strong, <br />Until God's glory fill the earth; <br />Then shall he sing who had no song, <br />He laugh who had no mirth! <br /> <br />Yea, if in land of stony dearth <br />Like barren rock thou sit, <br />Round which the phantom-waters flit <br />Of heart- and brain-mirage <br />That can no thirst assuage, <br />Yet be thou still, and wait, wait long; <br />A right sea comes to drown the wrong; <br />God's glory comes to fill the earth, <br />And thou, no more a scathed rock, <br />Shalt start alive with gladsome shock, <br />Shalt a hand-clapping billow be, <br />And shout with the eternal sea! <br /> <br />To righteousness and love belong <br />The dance, the jubilance, the song, <br />When the great Right hath quelled the wrong, <br />And Truth hath stilled the lying tongue! <br />Then men must sing because of song, <br />And laugh because of mirth! <br />And this shall be their anthem strong- <br />Hallow! the glad God fills the earth, <br />And Love sits down by every hearth!<br /><br />George MacDonald<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/how-shall-he-sing-who-hath-no-song/
