Spirits in Bondage

by C.S. Lewis

XII. De Profundis

Come let us curse our Master ere we die,
     For all our hopes in endless ruin lie.
     The good is dead. Let us curse God most High.

     Four thousand years of toil and hope and thought
     Wherein man laboured upward and still wrought
     New worlds and better, Thou hast made as naught.

     We built us joyful cities, strong and fair,
     Knowledge we sought and gathered wisdom rare.
     And all this time you laughed upon our care,

     And suddenly the earth grew black with wrong,
     Our hope was crushed and silenced was our song,
     The heaven grew loud with weeping. Thou art strong.

     Come then and curse the Lord. Over the earth
     Gross darkness falls, and evil was our birth
     And our few happy days of little worth.

     Even if it be not all a dream in vain
     The ancient hope that still will rise again—
     Of a just God that cares for earthly pain,

     Yet far away beyond our labouring night,
     He wanders in the depths of endless light,
     Singing alone his musics of delight;

     Only the far, spent echo of his song
     Our dungeons and deep cells can smite along,
     And Thou art nearer. Thou art very strong.

     O universal strength, I know it well,
     It is but froth of folly to rebel;
     For thou art Lord and hast the keys of Hell.

     Yet I will not bow down to thee nor love thee,
     For looking in my own heart I can prove thee,
     And know this frail, bruised being is above thee.

     Our love, our hope, our thirsting for the right,
     Our mercy and long seeking of the light,
     Shall we change these for thy relentless might?

     Laugh then and slay. Shatter all things of worth,
     Heap torment still on torment for thy mirth—
     Thou art not Lord while there are Men on earth.