In Divers Tones   By: Charles George Douglas Roberts (1860-1943)

IN DIVERS TONES

BY

CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS

AUTHOR OF "ORION, AND OTHER POEMS"; PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF KING'S COLLEGE, WINDSOR, N. S.

To My Friend, EDMUND COLLINS.

In divers tones I sing, And pray you, Friend, give ear! My medley of song I bring You, who can rightly hear.

Themes gathered far and near, Thoughts from my heart that spring, In divers tones I sing, And pray you. Friend, give ear!

Here's many a serious thing You'll know if it's sincere. Where the light laughters ring You may detect a tear. In divers tones I sing, And pray you, Friend, give ear!

CONTENTS.

DEDICATION

COLLECT FOR DOMINION DAY

CANADA

ACTAEON

IN THE AFTERNOON

THE PIPES OF PAN

BEFORE THE BREATH OF STORM

OUT OF POMPEII

TO FREDERICTON IN MAY TIME

IN SEPTEMBER

CONCERNING CUTHBERT THE MONK

IMPULSE

THE ISLES AN ODE

A SERENADE

OFF PELORUS

A BALLADE OF CALYPSO

RAIN

MIST

THE TANTRAMAR REVISITED

THE SLAVE WOMAN

THE MARVELLOUS WORK

A SONG OF DEPENDENCE

ON THE CREEK

LOTOS

THE SOWER

THE POTATO HARVEST

AFLOAT

RECKONING

IN NOTRE DAME

NOCTURNE

TIDES

CONSOLATION

DARK

THE FOOTPATH

TOUT OU RIEN

SALT

KHARTOUM

LIBERTY. (From the French of Fréchette)

TO THE MEMORY OF SIDNEY LANIER

ON READING THE POEMS OF SIDNEY LANIER

IN LANG'S "HELEN OF TROY." (TO BLISS CARMAN.)

A BALLADE OF PHILOMELA

A HERALD

WINTER GERANIUMS

A BREATHING TIME

BIRCH AND PADDLE. (To BLISS CARMAN.)

AN ODE FOR THE CANADIAN CONFEDERACY

THE QUELLING OF THE MOOSE

A SONG OF REGRET

THE DEPARTING OF CLOTE SCARP

A BREAK

TO A LADY, AFTER HEARING HER READ KEATS' "NIGHTINGALE"

RONDEAU. (TO LOUIS HONORE FRÉCHETTE.)

A BIRTHDAY BALLADE

To S M

LA BELLE TROMBONISTE

THE POET IS BIDDEN TO MANHATTAN ISLAND

THE BLUE VIOLET

IN DIVERS TONES.

COLLECT FOR DOMINION DAY.

Father of nations! Help of the feeble hand! Strength of the strong! to whom the nations kneel! Stay and destroyer, at whose just command Earth's kingdoms tremble and her empires reel! Who dost the low uplift, the small make great, And dost abase the ignorantly proud, Of our scant people mould a mighty state, To the strong, stern, to Thee in meekness bowed! Father of unity, make this people one! Weld, interfuse them in the patriot's flame, Whose forging on thine anvil was begun In blood late shed to purge the common shame; That so our hearts, the fever of faction done, Banish old feud in our young nation's name.

CANADA.

O Child of Nations, giant limbed, Who stand'st among the nations now Unheeded, unadored, unhymned, With unanointed brow,

How long the ignoble sloth, how long The trust in greatness not thine own? Surely the lion's brood is strong To front the world alone!

How long the indolence, ere thou dare Achieve thy destiny, seize thy fame Ere our proud eyes behold thee bear A nation's franchise, nation's name?

The Saxon force, the Celtic fire, These are thy manhood's heritage! Why rest with babes and slaves? Seek higher The place of race and age.

I see to every wind unfurled The flag that bears the Maple Wreath; Thy swift keels furrow round the world Its blood red folds beneath;

Thy swift keels cleave the furthest seas; Thy white sails swell with alien gales; To stream on each remotest breeze The black smoke of thy pipes exhales.

O Falterer, let thy past convince Thy future, all the growth, the gain, The fame since Cartier knew thee, since Thy shores beheld Champlain!

Montcalm and Wolfe! Wolfe and Montcalm! Quebec, thy storied citadel Attest in burning song and psalm How here thy heroes fell!

O Thou that bor'st the battle's brunt At Queenston, and at Lundy's Lane, On whose scant ranks but iron front The battle broke in vain!

Whose was the danger, whose the day, From whose triumphant throats the cheers, At Chrysler's Farm, at Chateauguay, Storming like clarion bursts our ears?