Ye Sundial Booke

Name: Ye Sundial Booke
Author: Henslow, T. Geoffrey W. (Thomas Geoffrey Wall)

Henslow, T. Geoffrey W. (Thomas Geoffrey Wall)

Sundials

Ere shadows form upon my dial,
                     Birds from sleep awaken,
                   Fearing lest the sun should smile,
                     In hours not overtaken.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL IN CHURCHYARD AT CASTLETON, DERBYSHIRE.
]

                   Husband each departing ray,
                     Chances that the sun has given,
                   For to make of hours to-day
                     A life acceptable for Heaven.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL IN THE “DANE JOHN” GARDENS, CANTERBURY.
]

                  If with mortal men were power,
                  To count their blessings every hour,
                  All would very soon agree,
                  How few their troubles seemed to be.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL AT MINSTER, ISLE OF SHEPPEY.

  Date 1641.
]

                  If a shadow hides the sundial
                    Just like a cloud o’er love;
                  E’en though it lasts a little while,
                    ’Twill very soon remove.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL, 18th CENTURY.
]

            The sun each day scarce rises in its might
            When, lo! too soon appears a sunset bright.
            So, as a child, we scarce the light have seen,
            E’er for each one, life’s sunset draws a screen.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL, 20th CENTURY.
]

              There are hours for work and hours for play,
              And hours appointed for men to pray;
              But the hours we love, come, truly say,
              Are hours for rest at the end of day.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL IN TURKEY.
]

                 I have so often heard men say,
                 We will do this another day.
                 When all the while life’s dying spark,
                 Was doomed to leave them in the dark.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL AT SELBOURNE.

  Date about 1760.
]

                 With the memory there is power
                 To re-create the fleeting hour;
                 O careful, then, all men should be
                 That they each hour shall wish to see.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL ON YORK MINSTER.
]

                     The day was given to enjoy,
                     And hours to usefully employ;
                     But men were never meant to be
                     Slaves to seconds continually.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL IN THE TEMPLE GARDENS, LONDON.
]

                    Mark well the hours of the day,
                      Note well each fleeting year,
                    And never let time slip away,
                      Through idleness or fear.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL IN CHURCHYARD, ROXBURGH PARK, HARROW-ON-THE-HILL.

  Date 1725.
]

                    Do not let it e’er be said,
                    He never earned his daily bread;
                    Like a drone within the hive,
                    He lived by others when alive.

[Illustration:

  SUNDIAL, 18th CENTURY.
]

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Ye Sundial Booke

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