Along the walls, twelve gates of pearl were seen, So great their breadth, and high their jewelled arch, That Earth could almost trundle in untouched, And in each arch was fixed a giant bell Of silver, with a golden tongue that hung, A pendant sun. So wide the silver lips, That Chimularee plucked up by the roots, And as a clapper swung within its circ, Would tinkle, like a pebble, noiselessly Against the rigid side. And as the saved Were brought in teeming host, by Angel bands, Before the gates, the bells began their swing; And to and fro the ponderous tongue was hurled, Till through the portals marched the shouting throng, And then it fell against the bounding side. And loud and long their booming thunder Rends the golden air asunder, While the ransomed, passing under, Fall in praise beneath the bells, Whose mighty throbbing welcome tells; And the Angels hush their harps in wonder-- Bells of Heaven, glory booming bells! Gentler now, the silver’s shiver Purls the rippling waves that quiver Through the ether’s tide forever, Mellow as they left the bells, Whose softening vibrate welcome tells; And the quavers play adown the river-- Bells of Heaven, softly sobbing bells! Then the dreamy cadence dying, Sings as soft as zephyrs sighing; Faintest echoes cease replying To the murmur of the bells, Whose stilling tremor welcome tells, Faintly as the snow-flakes falling, lying-- Bells of Heaven, dreamy murmuring bells! And in and out those Gates of Pearl, there streamed A ceaseless throng of Angels, errand bound. From one came forth a band of choristers, With shining harps, and sweeping out through space, Their long white lines bent gracefully, they sang. Although so far away, that purest air Brought every note exquisite to my ear. ’Twas richly worth life’s toil, to catch one bar Of Heavenly melody. Oh! I would give My pitiful existence, once again To hear the strains that floated to me then, So full, so deep, so ravishingly sweet; Now gentle as a mother’s lullaby, They almost died away, then louder rose, And rolled their volumes through the boundless realms, That trembled with the diapason grand; Until eternal echoes caught the strain, And glory in the highest swelled sublime.