The Hound of Heaven

I FLED Him down the nights and down the days

I fled Him down the arches of the years

I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways

Of my own mind, and in the midst of tears

I hid from him, and under running laughter.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;

And shot precipitated

Adown titanic glooms of chasme d hears

From those strong feet that followed, followed after

But with unhurrying chase

And unperturbèd pace,

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

They beat, and a Voice beat,

More instant than the feet:

"All things betray thee who betrayest me."



I pleaded, outlaw-wise,

By many a hearted casement, curtained red,

Trellised with inter-twining charities,

(For though I knew His love who followèd,

Yet was I sore adread,

Lest having Him, I should have nought beside);

But if one little casement parted wide,

The gust of his approach would clash it to.

Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue.

Across the margent of the world I fled,

And troubled the gold gateways of the stars,

Smiting for shelter on their clangèd bars,

Fretted to dulcet jars

And silvern chatter the pale ports o' the moon.

I said to Dawn: be sudden, to Eve: be soon,

With thy young skyey blossoms heap me over

From this tremendous Lover!

Float thy vague veil about me lest He see!

I tempted all His servitors but to find

My own betrayal in their constancy,

In faith to Him their fickleness to me,

Their traitorous trueness and their loyal deceit.

To all swift things for swiftness did I sue,

Clung to the whistling mane of every wind,

But whether they swept, smoothly fleet,

The long savannahs of the blue,

Or whether, Thunder-driven,

They clanged His chariot thwart a heaven,

Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o' their feet --

Fear wist not to evade as Love wist to pursue.

Still with unhurrying chase

And unperturbe d pace

Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,

Came on the following Feet,

And a Voice above their beat --

"Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me."



-Francis Thompson