ST. AUSTIN AND THE CHILD
Forgetting mortal dearth
It seized on heavenly things,
Till it was cast again to earth,
Because it had not wings.
It seized on heavenly things,
Till it was cast again to earth,
Because it had not wings.
Because the Three in One
He could not understand,
Baffled and beaten and undone,
He gazed o'er sea and land.
He could not understand,
Baffled and beaten and undone,
He gazed o'er sea and land.
Then by a little pool
A lovely child he saw;
A harmless thing and beautiful,
And yet so full of awe.
A lovely child he saw;
A harmless thing and beautiful,
And yet so full of awe.
That with a curved sea-shell,
Held in his rosy hand,
Had scooped himself a little well
Within the yielding sand.
Held in his rosy hand,
Had scooped himself a little well
Within the yielding sand.
And to and fro went he,
Between it and the wave,
Bearing his shell filled with the sea,
To find a sandy grave.
Between it and the wave,
Bearing his shell filled with the sea,
To find a sandy grave.
"What is it that you do,
You lovely boy and bold?"
"I empty out the ocean blue.
You man so wise and old!
You lovely boy and bold?"
"I empty out the ocean blue.
You man so wise and old!
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