In the hush of the valley of Silence
I dream all the songs that I sing;
And the music floats down the dim valley,
Till each finds a word for a wing,
That to hearts, like the dove of the Deluge,
A message of peace they may bring.
But far on the deep there are billows
That never shall break on the beach;
And I have heard songs in the silence
That never shall float into speech:
And I have had dreams in the valley
Too lofty for language to reach.
And I have seen thoughts in the valley—
Ah! how my spirit was stirred!—
And they wear holy veils on their faces;
Their footsteps can scarcely be heard:
They pass through the valley like virgins,
Too pure for the touch of a word.
Do you ask me the place of the valley,
Ye hearts that are harrowed with care;
It lieth afar between mountains,
And God and His angels are there;
And one is, the dark mountain of sorrow,
And one, the bright mountain of prayer.
