In silent night when rest I took
For sorrow near I did not look
I waked was with thund’ring noise
And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.
That fearful sound of “Fire!” and “Fire!”
Let no man know is my desire.
I, starting up, the light did spy,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my distress
And not to leave me succorless.
Then, coming out, beheld a space
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And when I could no longer look,
I blest His name that gave and took,
That laid my goods now in the dust.
Yea, so it was, and so ’twas just.
It was His own, it was not mine,
Far be it that I should repine;
He might of all justly bereft
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the ruins oft I past
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spy
Where oft I sat and long did lie:
Here stood that trunk, and there that chest,
There lay that store I counted best.
My pleasant things in ashes lie,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sit,
Nor at thy table eat a bit.
No pleasant tale shall e’er be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No candle e’er shall shine in thee,
Nor bridegroom’s voice e’er heard shall be.
In silence ever shall thou lie,
Adieu, Adieu, all’s vanity.
Then straight I ‘gin my heart to chide,
And did thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mold’ring dust?
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the sky
That dunghill mists away may fly.
Thou hast an house on high erect,
Framed by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent though this be fled.
It’s purchased and paid for too
By Him who hath enough to do.
A price so vast as is unknown
Yet by His gift is made thine own;
There’s wealth enough, I need no more,
Farewell, my pelf, farewell my store.
The world no longer let me love,
My hope and treasure lies above.
i agre w/ mohumud. bradstrt doest kno wtf she is takin about. i am reading this in my sped english 5 class and it is very long. i will graduate high school soon and then i wont aave to rd thise stuf anymore. i h8 literatuer.
She is so lying how can u be happy that all ur st00fs is burned by a fire. Its just for the poem that she is writing must be sum tipe of writing mqgic mojo or metaphorical junk that gets all different types of translations when it really doesnn mean anyhing she just trying o confuse people. Rate five stars pl0x0rz
we r analyzing this poem in my ap english class…we thought that she although she says she sees God in her burning house, she is angry and wishes the event never happend. It is true that some critics insist that she is not being honest in the poem. It’s up to you whether you believe it or not!
After Katrina, I had my 10th grade students read this poem in class. How amazing that it is still relevent today. When all of Anne’s things were taken by fire, she thanked God for her life and looked forward to life in eternity with her Savior. So many people onthe Gulf Coast are in her same position. I hope they can be as optimistic as Anne was.