The Light of Stars
By
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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The night is come, but not too soon;
And sinking silently,
All silently, the little moon
Drops down behind the sky,
There is no light in earth or heaven
But the cold light of stars;
And the first watch of night is given
To the red planet Mars.
Is it the tender star of love,
The star of love and dreams?
O no ! from that blue tent above
A hero's armour gleams.
And earnest thoughts within me rise
When I behold afar,
Suspended in the evening skies,
The shield of that red star.
O star of strength ! I see thee stand
And smile upon my pain;
Thou beckonest with thy mailed hand,
And I am strong again.
Within my breast there is no light
But the cold light of stars:
I give the first watch of the night
To the red planet Mars.
The stars of the unconquer'd will:
He rises in my breast,
Serene, and resolute, and still,
And calm, and self-possess'd.
And thou too, whoeso'er thou art,
That readest this brief psalm !
As one by one thy hopes depart,
Be resolute and calm !
O, fear not in a world like this !
And thou shalt know ere long,
Know how sublime a thing it is
To suffer and be strong.
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