By the North Sea

Death and Sorrow and Sleep:
Here where the slow waves creep,
This is the chant I hear,
The chant of the measureless deep.

What was Sorrow to me
Then, when the young life free
Thirsted for joys of earth,
Far from the desolate sea?

What was Sleep but a rest,
Giving to youth the best
Dreams from the ivory gate,
Visions of God manifest?

What was death but a tale
Told to faces grown pale,
Worn or wasted with years --
A meaningless thing to the hale?

Death and Sorrow and Sleep:
Now their sad message I keep,
Tossed on the wet wind's breath,
The chant of the measureless deep.

-- W. L. Courtney.

Media: <html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">By the North Sea</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">Death</span> and Sorrow and Sleep:</p><p class="line">Here where the slow waves creep,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">This is the chant I hear,</p><p class="line">The chant of the measureless deep.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">What was Sorrow to me</p><p class="line">Then, when the young life free</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Thirsted for joys of earth,</p><p class="line">Far from the desolate sea?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">What was Sleep but a rest,</p><p class="line">Giving to youth the best</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Dreams from the ivory gate,</p><p class="line">Visions of God manifest?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">What was death but a tale</p><p class="line">Told to faces grown pale,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Worn or wasted with years --</p><p class="line">A meaningless thing to the hale?</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Death and Sorrow and Sleep:</p><p class="line">Now their sad message I keep,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Tossed on the wet wind's breath,</p><p class="line">The chant of the measureless deep.</p></div><p class="byline">-- W. L. Courtney.</p></body></html>