Explore "Reliance (Lyrics)" by Henry Van Dyke on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Not to the swift, the race: / Not to the strong, the fight: / Not to the righteous, perfect grace: / Not to the wise, the light.
But often faltering feet / Come surest to the goal; / And they who walk in darkness meet / The sunrise of the soul.
A thousand times by night / The Syrian hosts have died; / A thousand times the vanquished right / Hath risen, glorified.
The truth the wise men sought / Was spoken by a child; / The alabaster box was brought / In trembling hands defiled.
Not from my torch, the gleam, / But from the stars above: / Not from my heart, life's crystal stream, / But from the depths of Love.
October, 1903.