The Project Gutenberg EBook of 'He Giveth His Beloved Sleep', by
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Title: 'He Giveth His Beloved Sleep'

Author: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Illustrator: L. B. Humphrey
Andrew

Release Date: May 30, 2008 [EBook #25643]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 'HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP' ***

Produced by Bill Tozier and Barbara Tozier.

[Illustration: HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP]

"HE GIVETH HIS BELOVED SLEEP"

BY

ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING

_WITH DESIGNS BY MISS L. B. HUMPHREY_

_ENGRAVED BY ANDREW_

BOSTON
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK CHARLES T DILLINGHAM
1882

COPYRIGHT, 1880,
By LEE AND SHEPARD.

"He Giveth his Beloved Sleep"

PSALM cxxvii. 2.

THE SLEEP

OF all the thoughts of God that are
Borne inward unto souls afar,
Along the Psalmist's music deep,
Now tell me if that any is,
For gift or grace, surpassing this--
'He giveth His beloved, sleep'!

What would we give to our beloved?
The hero's heart to be unmoved,
The poet's star-tuned harp, to sweep,
The patriot's voice, to teach and rouse,
The monarch's crown, to light the brows?
'He giveth His beloved sleep.'

[Illustration: Along the Psalmist's music deep]

What do we give to our beloved?
A little faith all undisproved,
A little dust to overweep,
And bitter memories to make
The whole earth blasted for our sake.
He giveth His beloved sleep.

[Illustration: A little dust to overweep]

"Sleep soft, beloved!" we sometimes say,
But have no tune to charm away
Sad dreams that through the eyelids creep.
But never doleful dream again
Shall break the happy slumber when
He giveth His beloved sleep.

[Illustration: Sad dreams that through the eyelids creep
But never doleful dream agains