RHC Hollydaze Quotemail #3

Hello everyone –

 

As the year 2020 draws to a close, I’d like to share two poems/songs with you that I’ve found to be especially meaningful this holiday season, both for myself personally and for the human family as well.

 

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” (1863)

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

 

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

 

“THIS IS MY SONG” (1934)

Text by Lloyd Stone (1912-1993) & Georgia Harkness (1891-1974)

Tune: “FINLANDIA” (1899-1900) by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957)

 

1. This is my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is;

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.

But other hearts in other lands are beating,

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

 

2. My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.

But other lands have sunlight too and clover,

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

O hear my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

 

3. May truth and freedom come to every nation;

May peace abound where strife has raged so long;

That each may seek to love and build together,

A world united, righting every wrong;

A world united in its love for freedom,

Proclaiming peace together in one song.

 

Wishing all Quotemail subscribers a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season, with a fantastic 2021 to follow! 😊

 

Rob