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| A MAN went forth one day at eve: | |
| The long day’s toil for him was done: | |
| The eye that scanned the page could leave | |
| Its task until tomorrow’s sun. | |
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| Upon the threshold where he stood | 5 |
| Flared on his tired eyes the sight, | |
| Where host on host the multitude | |
| Burned fiercely in the dusky night. | |
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| The starry lights at play—at play— | |
| The giant children of the blue, | 10 |
| Heaped scorn upon his trembling clay | |
| And with their laughter pierced him through. | |
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| They seemed to say in scorn of him | |
| “The power we have was once in thee. | |
| King, is thy spirit grown so dim, | 15 |
| That thou art slave and we are free?” | |
| |
| As out of him the power—the power— | |
| The free—the fearless, whirled in play, | |
| He knew himself that bitter hour | |
| The close of all his royal day. | 20 |
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| And from the stars’ exultant dance | |
| Within the fiery furnace glow, | |
| Exile of all the vast expanse, | |
| He turned him homeward sick and slow. | |
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