| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Christina Georgina Rossetti. 1830–1894 |
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| 784. Passing Away |
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| PASSING away, saith the World, passing away: | |
| Chances, beauty and youth sapp'd day by day: | |
| Thy life never continueth in one stay. | |
| Is the eye waxen dim, is the dark hair changing to gray | |
| That hath won neither laurel nor bay? | 5 |
| I shall clothe myself in Spring and bud in May: | |
| Thou, root-stricken, shalt not rebuild thy decay | |
| On my bosom for aye. | |
| Then I answer'd: Yea. | |
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| Passing away, saith my Soul, passing away: | 10 |
| With its burden of fear and hope, of labour and play, | |
| Hearken what the past doth witness and say: | |
| Rust in thy gold, a moth is in thine array, | |
| A canker is in thy bud, thy leaf must decay. | |
| At midnight, at cockcrow, at morning, one certain day, | 15 |
| Lo, the Bridegroom shall come and shall not delay: | |
| Watch thou and pray. | |
| Then I answer'd: Yea. | |
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| Passing away, saith my God, passing away: | |
| Winter passeth after the long delay: | 20 |
| New grapes on the vine, new figs on the tender spray, | |
| Turtle calleth turtle in Heaven's May. | |
| Though I tarry, wait for me, trust me, watch and pray. | |
| Arise, come away; night is past, and lo, it is day; | |
| My love, my sister, my spouse, thou shalt hear me say— | 25 |
| Then I answer'd: Yea. | |
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