O Virginal mother of men, in whose fathomless eyes—
Soft eyes too familiar with tears,
Past sorrow and faith in the future both wistfully wait
The gladness that comes with the years!
Asleep on your breast and content, that futurity lies,
Nor frets nor frowns at its fate.
While half to yourself and half to your baby you sing
The story undying miraculous Christmases bring:
"There came three kings from far away, from far away,
from far away,
And o'er the crib of Bethlehem their guiding star its
course did stay.
Along the road beneath that star the way ahead like
silver shone:
So came they to the King of kings and poured their gifts
before His throne."
II.
Then sudden before your eyes the walls material fade
And melt away in the light,
While, full in that ray, as on stairway of stars, descend,
In robes of splendor bedight,
Three kingships on pilgrimage questing, with Heaven their aid,
And God within them their friend.
They move all majestical onward, as eager to greet
The slumbering Infant who draws them to kneel at His feet.
III.
The first is the kingship of Love, that walks in the van—
Of Love that kneels only to Love,
And vows unto Love a devotion Love only may pay.
Since Love is endowed from above.
How else could mortality offer such worship to man,
Or clay so reverence clay,
Did Love not know Love as predestined from death to win free,
Though lying all feeble and helpless asleep on your knee?
IV.
The second is kingship of Service, carrying high
Its casket of frankincense rare,
As ready in glad self-oblation to cast at Love's feet
The vessel fashioned so fair;
In gladness releasing, as incense that floats to the sky,
The odors of sacrifice sweet;
Lest self claim the fragrance that clings to one drop of the nard,
To shatter the vessel so fine to the uttermost shard.
V.
The third is the kingship of Wisdom, lingering still,
With hands that grope as they bear
No visible gift, and with footsteps that feel for the light,
And with eyes turned inward, from fear
Lest soon all their questing be ended, lest soon they shall fill
Their seeing with fullness of sight;
Still wise in their seeking for wisdom, yet wiser to be
In serving the Christ of their seeking on worshipping knee.