Sunday 1 January 2017

Ring in the New




Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

   The flying cloud, the frosty light:

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

   The year is dying in the night;


Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

   The year is going, let him go;


Ring out the grief that saps the mind

   For those that here we see no more;

Ring in redress to all mankind.


With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

   And ancient forms of party strife;

   Ring in the nobler modes of life,


   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

   The faithless coldness of the times;

But ring the fuller minstrel in.


Ring out false pride in place and blood,

   The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the common love of good.

   Ring in the love of truth and right,


   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

   Ring out the thousand wars of old,

   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring in the thousand years of peace.


Ring in the valiant man and free,

   Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be.


                                                                      (Tennyson)





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