Chapter 30 The Supports

(Song of the Avaiting Seraphs.)

FULL Chorus.

To Him Who bade the Heavens abide¹, yet cease not from their motion.
To Him Who tames the moonstruck tide twice a day round Ocean–
Let His Names be magnified in all poor folks’ devotion!

Powers and Gifts.

Not for Prophecies or Powers, Visions, Gifts, or Graces.
But the unregardful hours that grind us in our places
With the burden on our backs, the weather in our faces.

Toils².

Not for any Miracle of easy Loaves and Fishes.
But for doing, ‘gainst our will, work against our wishes —
Such as finding food to fill daily-emptied dishes.

Glories.

Not for Voices, Harps³ or Wings or rapt illumination.
But the grosser Self that springs of use and occupation.
Unto which the Spirit clings as her last salvation⁴.

Powers, Glories, Toils, and Gifts.

(He Who launched our Ship of Fools many anchors gave us.

Lest one gale⁵ should start them all — one collision stave us.
???Praise Him for the petty creeds⁶
???That prescribe in paltry⁷ needs
??Solemn rites⁸ to trivial deeds and, by small things, save us!)

Services and Loves.

Heart may fail, and Strength outwear, and Purpose turn to Loathing⁹.
But the everyday affair of business, meals, and clothing.
Builds a bulkhead ‘twixt Despair and the Edge of Nothing.

Patiences.

(Praise Him, then, Who orders it that, though Earth be flaring¹⁰
???And the crazy skies are lit
???By the searchlights of the Pit.

Man should not depart a whit¹¹ from his wonted bearing.

Hopes.

He Who bids the wild-swans’ host still maintain their flight on
???Air-roads over islands lost —
???Ages since ‘neath Ocean lost —
Beaches of some sunken coast their fathers would alight on —

Faiths.

He shall guide us through this dark, not by new-blown glories.
But by every ancient mark our fathers used before us.
Till our children ground their ark where the proper shore is.

Services, Patiences, Faiths, Hopes, and Loves.

He Who used the clay that clings on our boots to make us.
Shall not suffer earthly things to remove or shake us:
???But, when Man denies His Lord.
???Habit without Fleet or Sword
???(Custom without threat or word)
Sees the ancient fanes restored — the timeless rites o’ertake us.

Full Chorus.

For He Who makes the Mountains smoke and rives the Hills asunder¹².
???And, tomorrow, leads the grass —
???Mere¹³ unconquerable grass —
Where the fuming¹⁴ crater¹⁵ was, to heal and hide it under.
???He shall not — He shall not —
Shall not lay on us the yoke¹⁶ of too long Fear and Wonder!

1 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

2 toils   

网

参考例句：

• It did not declare him to be still in Mrs. Dorset's toils. 这并不表明他仍陷于多赛特夫人的情网。
• The thief was caught in the toils of law. 这个贼陷入了法网。

3 harps   

abbr.harpsichord 拨弦古钢琴n.竖琴( harp的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She continually harps on lack of money. 她总唠叨说缺钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He could turn on the harps of the blessed. 他能召来天使的竖琴为他奏乐。 来自辞典例句

4 salvation   

n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困

参考例句：

• Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
• Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。

5 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

6 creeds   

（尤指宗教）信条，教条( creed的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• people of all races, colours and creeds 各种种族、肤色和宗教信仰的人
• Catholics are agnostic to the Protestant creeds. 天主教徒对于新教教义来说，是不可知论者。

7 paltry   

adj.无价值的，微不足道的

参考例句：

• The parents had little interest in paltry domestic concerns.那些家长对家里鸡毛蒜皮的小事没什么兴趣。
• I'm getting angry;and if you don't command that paltry spirit of yours.我要生气了，如果你不能振作你那点元气。

8 rites   

仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to administer the last rites to sb 给某人举行临终圣事
• He is interested in mystic rites and ceremonies. 他对神秘的仪式感兴趣。

9 loathing   

n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢

参考例句：

• She looked at her attacker with fear and loathing . 她盯着襲擊她的歹徒，既害怕又憎恨。
• They looked upon the creature with a loathing undisguised. 他们流露出明显的厌恶看那动物。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 flaring   

a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的

参考例句：

• A vulgar flaring paper adorned the walls. 墙壁上装饰着廉价的花纸。
• Goebbels was flaring up at me. 戈塔尔当时已对我面呈愠色。

11 whit   

n.一点，丝毫

参考例句：

• There's not a whit of truth in the statement.这声明里没有丝毫的真实性。
• He did not seem a whit concerned.他看来毫不在乎。

12 asunder   

adj.分离的，化为碎片

参考例句：

• The curtains had been drawn asunder.窗帘被拉向两边。
• Your conscience,conviction,integrity,and loyalties were torn asunder.你的良心、信念、正直和忠诚都被扯得粉碎了。

13 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

14 fuming   

愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟

参考例句：

• She sat in the car, silently fuming at the traffic jam. 她坐在汽车里，心中对交通堵塞感到十分恼火。
• I was fuming at their inefficiency. 我正因为他们效率低而发火。

15 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

16 yoke   

n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶

参考例句：

• An ass and an ox,fastened to the same yoke,were drawing a wagon.驴子和公牛一起套在轭上拉车。
• The defeated army passed under the yoke.败军在轭门下通过。