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The Three Kings (Poem) · Ririro.com - Poetry

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  Speaker 1: The three kings. When the star in the east was
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  Speaker 1: lit to shine, the three kings journeyed to Palestine. They
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  Speaker 1: came from the uttermost parts of Earth, with long trains,
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  Speaker 1: laden with gifts of worth. The first King rode on
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  Speaker 1: a camel's back. He came from the land where the
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  Speaker 1: kings are black, bringing treasures desired of kings, rubies and
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  Speaker 1: ivory and precious things. An elephant carried. The second King.
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  Speaker 1: He came from the land of the sun rising, and
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  Speaker 1: gems and gold and spices. He bore with broidered raiment
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  Speaker 1: for kings to wear. The third King came without steed
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  Speaker 1: or train, from the misty land where the white kings reign.
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  Speaker 1: He bore no gifts save the murrhr in his hand,
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  Speaker 1: For he came on foot from a far off land. Now,
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  Speaker 1: when they had traveled a many days through tangled forests
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  Speaker 1: and desert ways, by angry seas and by paths thorn
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  Speaker 1: set on Christmas vigil, the three kings met, and over
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  Speaker 1: their meeting a shrouded sky made dark the star they
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  Speaker 1: had traveled by then the first King spake, and he frowned,
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  Speaker 1: and said, by some ill spell have our feet been led? Now?
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  Speaker 1: I see in the darkness the fools we are to
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  Speaker 1: follow the light of a lying star. Let us fool
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  Speaker 1: no more, But like kings and men, each get him
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  Speaker 1: home to his land again. Then the second king, with
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  Speaker 1: the weary face gold tinked as the sun of his
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  Speaker 1: reigning place, lifted sad eyes to the clouds and said,
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  Speaker 1: it was but a dream, and the dream is sped.
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  Speaker 1: We dreamed of a star that rose new and fair,
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  Speaker 1: But it sets in the night of the old despair.
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  Speaker 1: Yet night is faithful, though stars betray It will lead
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  Speaker 1: to our kingdoms far away. Then spake the king, who
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  Speaker 1: had fared alone from the far off kingdom the white
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  Speaker 1: hung throne. Oh brothers, brothers, so very far ye have
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  Speaker 1: followed the light of the radiant star. And because for
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  Speaker 1: a while ye see it, not, shall its faithful shining
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  Speaker 1: be all forgot on the spirit's pathway. The light still lies,
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  Speaker 1: though the star be hid from our longing eyes. Tomorrow
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  Speaker 1: our star will be bright once more. The little pinhole
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  Speaker 1: in heaven's floor, the angels pricked it to let it
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  Speaker 1: bring our feet to the throne of the new born king.
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  Speaker 1: And the first king heard, and the second heard, and
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  Speaker 1: their hearts grew humble before the third, and they laid
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  Speaker 1: them down beside bail and beast, and their sleeping eyes
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  Speaker 1: saw light in the east, for the angels fanned them
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  Speaker 1: with starry wings, and the waft of visions of unseen things.
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  Speaker 1: And the next gold day waned trembling and white, and
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  Speaker 1: the star was born of the waxing night. And the
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  Speaker 1: three kings came where the great king lay a little
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  Speaker 1: baby among the hay. The ox and the ass were
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  Speaker 1: standing near, and merry mother beside her deer, then lo
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  Speaker 1: in the litter. The kings bowed down. They gave him
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  Speaker 1: gold for a kingly crown, and frankensnse for a great
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  Speaker 1: God's breath, and murr to sweeten the day of death.
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  Speaker 1: The maiden mother, she stood and smiled, and she took
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  Speaker 1: from the manger her little child. On the dark king's head,
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  Speaker 1: she laid his hand, and anger died at that dear command.
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  Speaker 1: She laid his hand on the gold King's head, and
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  Speaker 1: despair itself was comforted. But when the pale king knelt
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  Speaker 1: in the stall, she heard on the straw his tears downfall,
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  Speaker 1: and she stooped where he knelt beside her feet, and
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  Speaker 1: laid on his bosom her baby sweet, and the King
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  Speaker 1: in the holy stable place felt the little lips through
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  Speaker 1: the tears on his face. Christ, lay thy hand on
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  Speaker 1: the angry King who reigns in my breast to my undoing.
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  Speaker 1: And lay thy hands on the King who lays the
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  Speaker 1: spell of sadness on all my days. And give the
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  Speaker 1: White King my soul, thy soul of these other kings,
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  Speaker 1: the High control, that soul and spirit and sense may
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  Speaker 1: meet in adoration before thy feet. Now glory to God,
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  Speaker 1: the Father most High, and the Star the Spirit he
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  Speaker 1: leads us by. And to God's dear son, the Babe,
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  Speaker 1: who was born and laid in the manger on Christmas morn.