yet, none the less, on thee i call,
if thou wilt listen verily,
as thou art glorious over all,
hearken the while i question thee.
within some splendid castle wall,
have ye not dwellings fair to see?
of david's city, rich, royal,
jerusalem, thou tellest me.
in palestine its place must be;
in wildwood such none ever saw.
since spotless is your purity,
your dwellings should be free from flaw.
"now this most fair and flawless rout,
thronging thousands, as thou dost tell,
they must possess, beyond a doubt,
a sightly city wherein to dwell.
't were strange that they should live without;
for so bright a band it were not well;
yet i see no building hereabout.
dost thou linger as in a woodland cell,
alone and hidden, for the spell
of rushing stream and shining shaw?
if thou hast a dwelling beyond this dell,
now show me that city free from flaw."
"not flawless the city in juda's land,"
that gentle one gently to me spake,
"but the lamb did bless it when he planned
to suffer there sorely for man's sake.
that is the old city we understand,
and there the bonds of old guilt did break;
but the new, alighted from god's hand,
the apostle john for his theme did take.
the lamb who is white with never a flake
of black, did thither his fair folk draw;
for his flock no fenced fold need he make,
nor moat for his city free from flaw."
"to figure flawlessly what may mean
jerusalems twain: the first of those
was 'the sight of peace' as it is seen
in the word of god, for the gospel shows
how there our peace made sure hath been,
since to suffer therein the saviour chose;
in the other is always peace to glean,
peace that never an ending knows.
to that city bright the spirit goes
when the flesh hath fallen beneath death's law;
there glorious gladness forever grows
for his fair folk that are free from flaw."
"flawless maid so mild and meek,"
then said i to that lovely flower:
"let me that stately city seek,
and let me see thy blissful bower."
that bright one said, "thou art too weak,
thou may'st not enter to its tower;
yet of the lamb i did bespeak
this goodly gift, that he would dower
thine eyes with the sight for one short hour,—
from without,—within none ever saw;
to step in that street thou hast no power,
unless thy soul were free from flaw."
