From making hundreds laugh and roar with glee By my transcendent feats of mimicry, And humour wanton as an elvish sprite: I wake from daydreams to this real night. From prayer and fasting in a lonely cell, 25 Which brought an ecstasy ineffable Of love and adoration and delight: I wake from daydreams to this real night. From ruling on a splendid kingly throne A nation which beneath my rule has grown 30 Year after year in wealth and arts and might: I wake from daydreams to this real night. From preaching to an audience fired with faith The Lamb who died to save our souls from death, Whose blood hath washed our scarlet sins wool-white: 35 I wake from daydreams to this real night. From drinking fiery poison in a den Crowded with tawdry girls and squalid men, Who hoarsely laugh and curse and brawl and fight: I wake from daydreams to this real night. 40 From picturing with all beauty and all grace First Eden and the parents of our race, A luminous rapture unto all men's sight: I wake from daydreams to this real night. From writing a great work with patient plan 45 To justify the ways of God to man, And show how ill must fade and perish quite: I wake from daydreams to this real night. From desperate fighting with a little band Against the powerful tyrants of our land, 50 To free our brethren in their own despite: I wake from daydreams to this real night. Thus, challenged by that warder sad and stern, Each one responded with his countersign, Then entered the cathedral; and in turn 55 I entered also, having given mine; But lingered near until I heard no more, And marked the closing of the massive door. XIII Of all things human which are strange and wild This is perchance the wildest and most strange, And showeth man most utterly beguiled, To those who haunt that sunless City's range; That he bemoans himself for aye, repeating 5 How Time is deadly swift, how life is fleeting, How naught is constant on the earth but change. The hours are heavy on him and the days; The burden of the months he scarce can bear; And often in his secret soul he prays 10 To sleep through barren periods unaware, Arousing at some longed-for date of pleasure; Which having passed and yielded him small treasure, He would outsleep another term of care. Yet in his marvellous fancy he must make 15 Quick wings for Time, and see it fly from us; This Time which crawleth like a monstrous snake, Wounded and slow and very venomous; Which creeps blindwormlike round the earth and ocean, Distilling poison at each painful motion, 20 And seems condemned to circle ever thus.