| Alfred H. Miles, ed. Women Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907. | | | Poems.
III. The Christian Mariner’s Hymn | | By Caroline (Bowles) Southey (1787–1854) |
| | | LAUNCH thy bark, Mariner! | |
| Christian, God speed thee! | |
| Let loose the rudder-bands— | |
| Good angels lead thee! | |
| Set thy sails warily, | 5 |
| Tempests will come; | |
| Steer thy course steadily, | |
| Christian, steer home! | |
| |
| Look to the weather-bow, | |
| Breakers are round thee; | 10 |
| Let fall the plummet now, | |
| Shallows may ground thee. | |
| Reef in the fore-sail, there! | |
| Hold the helm fast! | |
| So—let the vessel wear— | 15 |
| There swept the blast. | |
| |
| “What of the night, watchman? | |
| What of the night?” | |
| “Cloudy—ail quiet— | |
| No land yet—all’s right!” | 20 |
| Be wakeful, be vigilant— | |
| Danger may be | |
| At an hour when all seemeth | |
| Securest to thee. | |
| |
| How! gains the leak so fast? | 25 |
| Clear out the hold— | |
| Hoist up thy merchandise, | |
| Heave out thy gold;— | |
| There—let the ingots go— | |
| Now the ship rights; | 30 |
| Hurrah! the harbour’s near— | |
| Lo, the red lights! | |
| |
| Slacken not sail yet | |
| At inlet or island; | |
| Straight for the beacon steer, | 35 |
| Straight for the high land; | |
| Crowd all thy canvas on, | |
| Cut through the foam— | |
| Christian! cast anchor now— | |
| HEAVEN IS THY HOME! | 40 | | | |
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