The Pilgrims of Hope and Chants for Socialists

Transcribed from the 1915 Longmans, Green and Company edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
BY WILLIAM MORRIS
LONGMANS, GREEN & COMPANY 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS 1915
All rights reserved
“The Pilgrims of Hope” appeared in The Commonweal between March 1885 and July 1886, its title being decided on with the publication of the second part. Sections I, IV, and VIII were included in Poems by the Way after the author abandoned his intention of revising it as a whole. “To be concluded” stands at the bottom of the last instalment.
“Chants for Socialists,” consisting of songs and poems written for various occasions and collected into a penny pamphlet published by the Socialist League in 1885, is here printed entire (with the exception of “The Message of the March Wind,” pp. 3–6), although “The Day is Coming,” “The Voice of Toil,” and “All for the Cause,” were included in Poems by the Way . “A Death Song,” which also appears there, was written for the funeral of Alfred Linnell, who died from injuries received at a Demonstration in Trafalgar Square on November 20, 1887. It first appeared in pamphlet form, with a musical setting by Malcolm Lawson.
Fair now is the springtide, now earth lies beholding With the eyes of a lover the face of the sun; Long lasteth the daylight, and hope is enfolding The green-growing acres with increase begun.
Now sweet, sweet it is through the land to be straying Mid the birds and the blossoms and the beasts of the field; Love mingles with love, and no evil is weighing On thy heart or mine, where all sorrow is healed.
From township to township, o’er down and by tillage Far, far have we wandered and long was the day, But now cometh eve at the end of the village, Where over the grey wall the church riseth grey.
There is wind in the twilight; in the white road before us The straw from the ox-yard is blowing about; The moon’s rim is rising, a star glitters o’er us, And the vane on the spire-top is swinging in doubt.