Maryland Readies for Stiff Test From Penn State in Big Ten Opener; Plus: a Poem by William Wordsworth and a Psalm

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 29, 2015 - All of the "easy" games, save for a game in the second week of February against Bowie State, have been played.  They are over and done with, save for the one.  From here on out, from here to the end of the season, every Maryland Basketball game - save one - is either a Big Ten Conference Game or a Big Ten Conference Tournament Game or an NCAA Tournament Game, or a game in some lesser post-season tournament, or, should things go poorly, no game at all.  Maryland ended the non-conference part of the schedule with a twenty point win over Marshall on Sunday evening in College Park.  When they re-take the XFINITY Center Floor on Wednesdaty Night in front of a sell-out crowd and a nationwide TV audience (ESPN 2), the fine-tuning and experimentation will have ended.  Now, Maryland is playing for a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, which is known to some as "March Madness."


So, just how good is Maryland?  Well, the two national polls have them at number 4, behind Michigan State, Kansas and Oklahoma, but ahead of undefeated teams like Xavier, SMU and South Carolina.  Maryland has only one regular season game with Michigan State this season, and, sadly, it is at East Lansing.  The one certainty with Maryland is that it will improve between now and the end of the season providing there are no injuries to its core players.  The reason is Diamond Stone.  The hotly recruited 6'11" freshman improves each game by leaps and bounds and it is a joy to watch.  He is strong but will get stronger, and he can score points in big beautiful bunches.  Right now, Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon is bringing him off the bench, which, Turgeon hinted, is something Stone isn't exactly overjoyed about.  Turgeon is coy about his reasons for keeping the big man beside him as games start, saying that using him like he is helps keep the young man out of foul difficulty.  Maryland is loaded up, what with their two sensational guards - Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon - and two talented and athletic forwards (Jake Layman and Robert Carter, Jr.), and a bench that could be the best anywhere.  Turgeon starts the junior, Damonte Dodd, at center and brings Stone and 7'0" Michal Cekovsky off the bench.  At guard on the bench is the deadly long-range shooter, Jared Nickens, and the suddenly lethal point guard, Jaylen Brantley.

One thing to remember about Maryland is that they have the ability to win the tight games.  Their back court - Trimble and Sulaimon - are experienced, talented and cool under pressure.  Trimble seems to be able to manufacture points even when the opponent is in a defense that seems to have Maryland's number.  It is those clutch baskets that break the other team's resolve and keeps Maryland within striking distance even when an opponent is on a roll.

Maryland has a managable early schedule in the Big Ten.  After Penn State in College Park tonight, they are at Northwestern on Saturday night and home against Rutgers one week from tonight.  The Northwestern game cannot be overlooked.  The coach of the Wildcats, Doug Collins, the former Duke guard, has Northwestern off to one of its best starts ever.  And Northwestern has a goal that no other Division I team has: the school is the only one in a major conference never to play in the NCAA Tournament.  A win over Maryland would be an incredible boost toward erasing that situation.  Turgeon and his Terps cannot overlook the Wildcats.  Fortunately, it is the first Big Ten road game of the season and it is hard to imagine Maryland taking such a challenge lightly.

This is a Terrapin team that could win a national championship.  It is a long way away and Maryland has to avoid injuries to any of its key players.  But the ability is there.  It can happen,

A Poignant Poem by William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth, who is credited along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, with founding the critical period of English Romanticism, was born in 1770 in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England.  He lost his mother when he was only eight, and he became an orphan along with four brothers and sisters, when his father passed while Wordsworth was still at Hawkshead Grammar School.  There is a wonderful, albeit brief, biography of Wordsworth at the web page of the Academy of American Poets (www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/william-wordsworth).

The World is Too Much With Us

by William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 - 23 April 1850)

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

From the Book of Psalms, Psalm 49, from the beginning:
Verse 1: Hear this, all peoples!
Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
Verse 2: both low and high,
rich and poor together!
Verse 3: My mouth shall speak wisdom;
The meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
Verse 4: I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.

Verse 5: Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
Verse 6: men who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?
Verse 7: Truly no man can ransom himself*
or give to God the price of his life,
Verse 8: for the ransom of his (or their) life is costly,
and can never suffice,
Verse 9: that he should continue to live on for ever,
and never see the Pit.

Verse 10: Yea, he shall see that even the wise die,
the fool and the stupid alike must perish,
and leave their wealth to others.
Verse 11: Their graves** are their homes for ever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.
Verse 12: Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish.

Verse 13: This is the fate of those who have foolish confidence,
the end of those (some add here: after them) who are pleased with their portion.
Verse 14: Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,
(some add here: the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning)
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.
Verse 15: But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.

Verse 16: Be not afraid when one becomes rich,
when the glory (or: wealth) of his house increases.
Verse 17: For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
his glory (or: wealth) will not go down after him.
Verse 18: Though, while he lives, he counts himself happy,
and though a man gets praise when he does well for himself,
Verse 19: he will go to the generation of his fathers,
who will never more see the light.
Verse 20: Man cannot abide in his pomp,
he is like the beasts that perish.
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*another reading is: no man can ransom his brother
**other translations provide: their inward (thought)

Ravens Defeat Steelers, 20-17 to Sweep Season Series From Arch-Rivals; Baltimore Defense Intercepts Roethlisberger Twice, Mallett Leads Ravens in First Start

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 27 - With the Ravens up by ten points against their arch-rivals and time starting to run out, Ben Roethlisberger drove his team to the Baltimore one-yard-line.  It was first and goal.  Roethlisberger threw into the endzone, but the receiver, All Pro Anthony Brown, saw the ball richochet off of his hands.  Jimmy Smith picked it out of the air and took off down the sideline.  No one caught him.  No one even came close.  It should have been game, set, match.  But in keeping with this worst of seasons for the Ravens, an official said Courtney Upshaw had lined up in the neutral zone.  The breath-taking play was called back.  Two plays later, the Steelers scored even though Upshaw was held out in the open so obviously that the perpetrator had already started to walk ten yards back up the field.  But remember, NFL officials do not call holding against teams the Ravens play - it has been eleven straight games since one was called - and no penalty was called.  This TD, the one for the Steelers, counted.  Now, the Ravens lead was cut to three.

To the credit of the Ravens offense, they sustained a time-consuming march into Steelers territory before stalling at the Pittsburgh 45.  A Sam Koch punt put the ball at the Steeler 20 and now all the Steelers needed was a FG to send this one into OT.  On the other side of the ball, a defense that had been torched two straight weeks looked anything but sure of themselves.  Or did they?  They had intercepted Roethlisberger tbree times counting the one that was called back.  They had sacked him three other times and dumped him to the ground several other times.  The maligned defensive backfield had kept All Pro speedster Anthony Brown in relative check.  This time, the Ravens came up big because their defense came up big.  The Steeler drive never got started.  A few hapless plays later, Baltimore had, indeed, won the season series from Pittsburgh.

After the game, Buck Allen, the Ravens' rookie running back, who ground out 79 critical yards and his first NFL rushing TD against the Steelers' vaunted run defense, couldn't say enough about the Ravens' offensive line.  All five of them are All Pros in my mind, he told a radio interviewer.  It was like any other Raven v. Steelers game, Allen said, intense, mean, tough.  And fun.  John Harbaugh couldn't say enough about the crowd, which was loud just like all those other seasons when the Ravens were driving for the playoffs.

In a season of downers, Ryan Mallett was a huge upside story on this last Sunday in December.  Appearing for the first time as a Raven, the five-year-pro outplayed his celebrated opponent, going 28 of 41 for 274 yards and a TD and one interception.  Allen was surprised how sure of himself Mallett was in the huddle, and how confidently he played.  He will also start the Ravens' season finale next week in Cincinatti.  The Ravens improved to 5-10 while the Steelers dropped to 9-6.  If the season ended today, the Steelers would not be in the playoffs.

In Game Update: Referees Take Away 101-Yard Interception Return By Ravens, Steelers Then Score Tainted TD to Cut Ravens Lead to 20-17 with 6:35 Left

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 27, 2015 - Jimmy Smith intercepted Ben Rothlisberger a second time and ran 101 yards for a touchdown, a score, that had it stood would have put the game beyond reach for the Steelers.  The play had started at the Ravens' one-yard-line. But the officials ruled that another Raven lined up in the neutral zone and negated the score.  Then the Steelers scored two plays later after the officials missed a Raven defender's jersey being pulled out of his pants by a Steeler "blocker.".  Now, with 6:35 left, the Ravens lead is 20-17.

In-Game Update: With 10:35 left in 4th Quarter, Ravens lead Steelers, 20-10

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 27, 2015 - Buck Allen just made the Steelers pay dearly for a second Ben Rothlisberger interception.  Jimmy Smith made the interception, and on the ensuing drive, Ryan Mallett and the Ravens overcame two huge penalties to march in for the score.  Earlier, Mallett threw to Chris Matthews for a TD.  Justin Tucker has kicked two field goals, including one from 50 yards out.

Germans En Masse Reject Upside of Massive Middle East Immigration; Hull City Explodes in Second Half to Send Burnley to Worst Defeat of Season

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 27, 2015 - A new Ipsos poll taken in Germany reveals that a paltry - minute? = 16% of Germans believe that the massive influx of Middle Eastern "refugees" “will bring us more economic opportunities than problems.”

This result comes even as everyday Germans understand the labour shortage that exists in their northern European nation.  The man who commissioned the poll, Futurologist Horst Opaschowski, has argued that Germany needs a “Code of Conduct” to teach the new migrants how to live.  In the land where PC is bonkers - These United States - and its now-ruling uber left regime, the idea of forcing conduct that is not uber left conduct, on anyone is strictly an anathema.  Yet in Germany, Mr. Opaschowski has gotten 'traction.'

Mr. Opaschowski cited successful, yet strict American rules "within corporate environments." He said: “you need in the future Code of Conduct… The mission statement of the coming months must be actually: good together”.

According to Breitbart.com, the migrant crisis, as well as overtaxation in Germany, has brought about for the “first time in years” a reality that Germans are more pessimistic than optimistic about their futures.  Also in Germany, the birth rate is below maintenance of current German ethnic population percentages, meaning that immigrants can become a majority ethnic group in the not too distant future.  What is brewing there is lots of trouble.  But you won't read much about it in the uber left media, which is dedicated to denying and hiding the truth if it will hurt their buddy Obama.  It is worse than shameful.  It is also the reality we live with today.

Breitbart takes a look at the troubling issue in Germany in a post at www.breitbart.com/london/2015/12/26/only-16-per-cent-of-germans-believe-the-economic-benefits-argument-for-mass-migration/

Hull City Scores Three in Second Half to Send Burnley to Worst Defeat of Season
At the half at Hull City, Burnley had held the home team scoreless.  It is something you expect from Keeper Tom Heaton and company.  But then something bad happened to the Claret.  Bad?  Hull scored three times to skunk Burnley, 3-0.  The loss sets Burnley back.  Though still in fifth place, they are a full ten points behind Middlesbrough, the second place team.  Second place is the last automatic promotion position in the Championship.  Finish third through sixth and you enter a tournament with three other teams, and only the winner gets promoted.  The Claret have 38 points and Middlesbrough has 48 points.

On Christmas Eve: A Humble Commentary; With Last Installment of the Real Christmas Story, the last installment of Christmas Poets and the last installment of Christmas Carols; With a Look at the Book of Hebrews, the First Chapter

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 24, 2015 - On a Baltimore radio station, a morning host prepares to read a father's letter to Santa Claus, which he has promised, for the last couple of days, is a real tear-jerker.  I am sure it can be.  There is a lot about parenting that is extremely poignant and sentimental.  Parenting is also extremely difficult, nerve-wracking, trying, at times heart-breaking, and at times extremely wonderful and - a word I do not like - rewarding.  Often, too often, the best of intentions turn disasterous.


This writer has three children and, at present, one grandchild with one on the way.  The oldest two children are adults now.  Jennifer is 30,  Edward is about to turn 29.  Eddie's son is 2.  Allison is 17.  Jenny's son - her and Chris already know they're having a son - is due in April.  Jenny and Eddie have told me, often, that I wasn't a tough enough disciplinarian.  They are probably correct.  I tried way too hard to talk to them when it came to right and wrong.  I talked but I didn't enforce what I said.  Both went through bad times when growing up - one more than the other, I think - and both believe I could've spared them those times were I to have intervened at important times with strong doses of tough love.  Both think I need to dish out some tough love for their younger sister.  The younger sister doesn't think so.  The older two say that is precisely why I need to do it.  My wife says my propensity for not being a disciplinarian even extends to the way I treat the two alley cats who live with us.  And no, I don't try to talk to the cats.  And when I say I talked to my kids, it wasn't a bunch of long lectures.  It was more like, "don't drink and drive.  If you do, you'll kill somebody, and it might be you."  Or, "don't have sex, period.  And if you can't avoid having sex, do not get pregnant or get somebody else pregnant."  Both Jenny and Eddie got great grades right up through middle school.  Jennifer behaved herself in school without being admonished about it.  I told Edward that if he got good grades I wasn't going to get excited about a detention or two.  Then, one day he came home and said he'd won an election to the student council but the school administration denied him the win because they said he screwed around too much.  I marched up to the school all outraged, especially because Eddie said the girl who was awarded the elected position was a "teacher's pet" type.  The principal didn't know too much about the girl the faculty person put in the elected position, but she sure knew about some of Ed's shennanigans.  "And we'll find some constructive things for him to do with all of his 'energies,' " the principal said.  So much for letting Ed be Ed.

I wanted to be involved with my kids' lives.  To the degree they'd let me be involved, I was involved.  But they didn't always want me involved.  They didn't want to do all the things I wanted them to do.  The youngest, Allison, started to push back far earlier than the other two.  The jury is still out on how that will turn out.  In the end, I accept that I am human and have made mistakes.  But I also know I have tremendous love for all three.  Ir is an amount of love that changes my life because when you love your kids as much as I love my kids your life is affected profoundly.  Your life cannot be routine or anything close to normal when everything they do and say is taken directly to heart.  Always.  Only a parent understands what that means.  Only a parent...
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Today we print the final part of the Real Christmas Story.  The Real Christmas Story is the Christmas Story, verbatim, from the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke as those Gospels are recorded in the Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible.  We have concluded with the St. Matthew portion, because it is contained in far fewer verses than the account of Christ's Birth as it is contained in St. Luke.  I said in my post of the day before Christmas Eve that I would get this post up on Christmas Day.  I didn't make it and I should've known better than to say I would.

From the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 2, beginning with Verse 21: And at the end of eight days, when he was circumsized, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Verse 22: And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  Verse 23: (as it was written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") Verse 24: and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."  Verse 25: Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  Verse 26: And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  Verse 27: And inspired by the Spirit (or, according to other ancient authorites, "And inspired in the Spirit,") he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, Verse 28: he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

Verse 29: "Lord, now lettest now they servant 

depart in peace, 

according to thy word;

Verse 30: for mine eyes have seen they salvation

Verse 31: which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,

Verse 32: a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to they people Israel."

Verse 33: And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him; Verse 34: and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 

"Behold, this child is set for the fall and 

rising of many is Israel,

and for a sign that is spoken against

Verse 35: (and a sword will pierce through your

own soul also),

that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."

Verse 36: And there was a prophetess Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, Verse 37: and as a widow till she was eighty-four.  She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and praying night and day.  Verse 38: And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

Christmas Poems Continued: Today is also the final installment for this season of Christmas Poetry.  In past installments we have printed Christmas Poems from Coleridge, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Frost, Stevenson and Longfellow.  Today, there are poems by Rudyard Kipling and John Greenleaf Whittier.

Christmas in India

by Rudyard Kipling (30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)

Dim dawn behind the tamerisks -- the sky is saffron-yellow --
As the women in the village grind the corn,
And the parrots seek the riverside, each calling to his fellow
That the Day, the staring Easter Day is born.
Oh the white dust on the highway! Oh the stenches in the byway!
Oh the clammy fog that hovers
And at Home they're making merry 'neath the white and scarlet berry --
What part have India's exiles in their mirth?

Full day begind the tamarisks -- the sky is blue and staring --
As the cattle crawl afield beneath the yoke,
And they bear One o'er the field-path, who is past all hope or caring,
To the ghat below the curling wreaths of smoke.
Call on Rama, going slowly, as ye bear a brother lowly --
Call on Rama -- he may hear, perhaps, your voice!
With our hymn-books and our psalters we appeal to other altars,
And to-day we bid "good Christian men rejoice!"

High noon behind the tamarisks -- the sun is hot above us --
As at Home the Christmas Day is breaking wan.
They will drink our healths at dinner -- those who tell us how they love us,
And forget us till another year be gone!
Oh the toil that knows no breaking! Oh the Heimweh, ceaseless, aching!
Oh the black dividing Sea and alien Plain!
Youth was cheap -- wherefore we sold it.
Gold was good -- we hoped to hold it,
And to-day we know the fulness of our gain.

Grey dusk behind the tamarisks -- the parrots fly together --
As the sun is sinking slowly over Home;
And his last ray seems to mock us shackled in a lifelong tether.
That drags us back how'er so far we roam.
Hard her service, poor her payment -- she is ancient, tattered raiment --
India, she the grim Stepmother of our kind.
If a year of life be lent her, if her temple's shrine we enter,
The door is hut -- we may not look behind.

Black night behind the tamarisks -- the owls begin their chorus --
As the conches from the temple scream and bray.
With the fruitless years behind us, and the hopeless years before us,
Let us honor, O my brother, Christmas Day!
Call a truce, then, to our labors -- let us feast with friends and neighbors,
And be merry as the custom of our caste;
For if "faint and forced the laughter," and if sadness follow after,
We are richer by one mocking Christmas past.

The Mystic's Christmas

by John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892)

'All hail!' the bells of Christmas rang,
'All hail!' the monks at Christmas sang,
The merry monks who kept with cheer
The gladdest day of all their year.

But still apart, unmoved thereat,
A pious elder brother sat
Silent, in his accustomed place,
With God's sweet peace upon his face.

'Why sitt'st thou thus?' his brethren cried.
'It is the blessed Christmas-tide;
The Christmas lights are all aglow,
The sacred lilies bud and blow.

'Above our heads the joy-bells ring,
Without the happy children sing,
And all God's creatures hail the morn
On which the holy Christ was born!

'Rejoice with us; no more rebuke
Our gladness with thy quiet look.'
The gray monk answered: 'Keep, I pray,
Even as ye list, the Lord's birthday.

'Let heathen Yule fires flicker red
Where thronged refectory feasts are spread;
With mystery-play and masque and mime
And wait-songs speed the holy time!

'The blindest faith may haply save;
The Lord accepts the things we have;
And reverence, howsoe'er it strays,
May find at last the shining ways.

'They needs must grope who cannot see,
The blade before the ear must be;
As ye are feeling I have felt,
And where ye dwell I too have dwelt.

'But now, beyond the things of sense,
Beyond occasions and events,
I know, through God's exceeding grace,
Release from form and time and place.

'I listen, from no mortal tongue,
To hear the song the angels sung;
And wait within myself to know
The Christmas lilies bud and blow.

'The outward symbols disappear
From him whose inward sight is clear;
And small must be the choice of clays
To him who fills them all with praise!

'Keep while you need it, brothers mine,
With honest zeal your Christmas sign,
But judge not him who every morn
Feels in his heart the Lord Christ born!'

And the lyrics of a favorite Christmas Carol.  The final installment of this year's Christmas Carols is "The First Noel."  According to Wikipedia, which has an excellent and quite sympathetic research analysis of the beautiful and moving song, "The First Noel" (also written as "The First Noël" and "The First Nowell") is a traditional classical English Christmas carol, most likely from the early modern period, although possibly earlier. Noel is an Early Modern English synonym of "Christmas".

In its current form, it is of Cornish origin, and it was first published in Carols Ancient and Modern (1823) and Gilbert and Sandys Carols (1833), both of which were edited by William Sandys and arranged, edited and with extra lyrics written by Davies Gilbert for Hymns and Carols of God. Today, it is usually performed in a four-part hymn arrangement by the English composer John Stainer, first published in his Carols, New and Old in 1871.  Variations of its theme are included in Victor Hely-Hutchinson's Carol Symphony.

The melody is unusual among English folk melodies in that it consists of one musical phrase repeated twice, followed by a refrain which is a variation on that phrase. All three phrases end on the third of the scale. It is thought to be a version of an earlier melody sung in a church gallery setting; a conjectural reconstruction of this earlier version can be found in the New Oxford Book of Carols.

The Annunciation to the shepherds and the Adoration of the shepherds are episodes in the Nativity of Jesus described in the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2). The Star of Bethlehem appears in the story of the Magi (the Wise Men) in the Gospel of Matthew; it does not appear in the story of the shepherds."

Wikipedia provides three different sets of lyrics for The First Noel.

The versions compared below are taken from the New English Hymnal (1986) (which is the version used in Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer's, Carols, New and Old), The Cornish Songbook of 1928 and Carols Old and New, published in 1916.
New English Hymnal:
1. The first Nowell the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep:
Refrain
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.

2. They looked up and saw a star,
Shining in the east, beyond them far:
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night:

3. And by the light of that same star,
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star whersoever it went:

4. This star drew nigh to the north-west;
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay
Right over the place where Jesus lay:

5. Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon their knee,
And offered there in his presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense:

6. Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with his blood mankind hath bought:

Cornish Songbook:  The 1928 Cornish Songbook used a version written by Ralph Dunstan.
1. O well, O well, the Angels did say
To shepherds there in the fields did lay;
Late in the night a-folding their sheep,
A winter's night, both cold and bleak.
Refrain
O well, O well, O well, O well,
Born is the King of Israel.

2. And then there did appear a Star,
Whose glory then did shine so far:
Unto the earth it gave a great light,
And there it continued a day and a night.

3. And by the light of that same Star,
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek a King was their intent -
They follow'd the Star wherever it went.

4. The Star went before them unto the North West,
And seemed o'er the City of Bethlehem to rest,
And there did remain by night and by day,
Right over the place where Jesus Christ lay.

5. Then enter'd in these Wise Men three,
With reverence fall on their knee,
And offer'd up in His presence
The gifts of gold and frankincense.

6. 'Tween an ox manger and an ass,
Our Blest Messiah's place it was;
To save us all from bond and thrall,
He was a Redeemer for us all!

Carols Old and Carols New: Reverend Charles Lewis Hutchins's version in Carols Old and Carols New (1916).
1. The first Noel, the angels say
To Bethlehem's shepherds as they lay.
At midnight watch, when keeping sheep,
The winter wild, the light snow deep.
Refrain
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel.

2. The shepherds rose, and saw a star
Bright in the East, beyond them far,
Its beauty gave them great delight,
This star it set now day nor night.

3. Now by the light of this bright star
Three wise men came from country far;
They sought a king, such their intent,
The star their guide where'er it went.

4. Then drawing nigh to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem town it took its rest;
The wise men learnt its cause of stay,
And found the place where Jesus lay.

The Book of Hebrews:  It is called a literary masterpiece.  Yet its authorship is, even officially, in question.  Some pundits - if, indeed, Theologians and Bible Scholars can ever be called mere pundits - believe St. Paul is the author while others say the writing is far too good to be Pauline in nature.  The very first chapter seems an attempt to settle a profound debate, but between who?  It is a mystery for the ages.  Since it is Christmas and since the debate is apparently between some who believe Christ is below the Angels - they would be who? - and others, like me, who believe strongly that Christ is God, part of the Trinity of God, the Triune God, three Gods as One God, I will print the first chapter of Hebrews and let the readers decide for themselves what, exactly, is meant.

From the Revised Standard Version, the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 1, Beginning with Verse 1: In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; Verse 2: but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  Verse 3: He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power.  When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Verse 4: having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained is more excellant than theirs.

Verse 5: For to what angel did God ever say, 

"Thou are my Son,

today, I have begotten thee"?

Or again,

"I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son"?

Verse 6: And again, when he brings the first-born 

into the world, he says,

"Let all God's angels worship him."

Verse 7: Of the angels he says,

"Who makes his angels winds,

and his servants names of fire."

Verse 8: But of the Son he says,

"Thy throne, O God, is (or God is thy throne) for ever and ever,

the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy (or his) kingdom.

Verse 9: Thou hast loved righteousness and

hated lawlessness;

therefore God, thy God, has annointed thee

with the oil of gladness beyond thy comrades."

Verse 10: And,

"Thou, Lord, didst found the earth in the beginning,

and the heavens are the work of thy hands;

Verse 11: they will perish, but thou remainest;

they will all grow old like a garment,

Verse 12: like a mantle thou wilt roll them up,

and they will be changed (other ancient authorities add like a garment.)

But thou are the same,

and thy years will never end."

Verse 13: But to what angel has he ever said,

"Sit at my right hand,

till I make thy enemies

a stool for thy feet"?

Verse 14: Are they not ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?

This writer is by no means qualified to even begin to interpret that chapter.  I hope your Christmas was happy.

Obama's Hawaiian Vacations Cost Taxpayers Millions; Judicial Watch's "Corruption Chronicles" Provides Inside Look at Obama's Uber Leftist Daliances; With Part 5 of the Real Christmas Story, More Christmas Poems by the Great Poets, and a Look at Christina Rossetti's Brilliant Poem Made Carol, "In the Bleak Midwinter"

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 22, 2015 - Anyone paying even slight attention knows that President Obama preaches the systemic importance of income equality and a 'toned back' civil existence.  In public, he takes exception to large corporate incomes and has testified publicly that "no one needs that much money."  As a liberal, I do not disagree with the concept that enough is enough.  I could never live with myself were I to have that much money flowing to me.  If it came, I would give much of it away.  

Sadly, in the case of many leftists, they do not practice what they preach.  Al Gore has made tens of millions of dollars while pushing his climate change narrative.  And while he preaches the evils of carbon-based energies, he thinks nothing of flying here and there on a routine basis, buying up multiple estates and engaging in all of the other evils of opulence.  With Gore, it is listen to what I say, do not bother with what I do.  Obama isn't much better.  He flies with a veritable armada of air ships halfway around the world for his annual vacation in Hawaii, denying a huge staff of military and secret service folk the opportunity of spending Christmas with their families.  And the costs of these junkets has continued to skyrocket.  

Google reports this about the costs to Americans of Obama in Hawaii: "The Secret Service provided documents for Obama's Christmas 2012 trip to Honolulu. The grand total is $654,599.40 including $409,225.78 in hotels.  Flight expenses for the Obamas' 2013 Christmas vacations to Hawaii cost taxpayers $7,781,361.30. The Christmas 2014 flight cost $3,672,798.60."

Remember, what you are reading for each of the annual estimates are only partial costs.  The 2012 cost is mostly for hotels, and no estimate is made for salaries etc.  The costs for 2013 and 2014 are only for the actual armada of jets that made the trip.  The total costs would made anyone blush.  How totally removed Obama and family must be to think that taking this trip every year is a good idea.  Real income during his regime has continued to decline and the number of unemployed - despite his ridiculously skewed unemployment figures - is obscene.   Yet off he goes.  And while the mainstream media will at last provide costs, you have to be a detective to find them.  Were an outrageous cost like this to be plastered across front pages for several days during these trips, it is hard to believe he wouldn't back off.  Well, on second thought, maybe he wouldn't.  He is, afterall, so very important and elite.  

You Want Corruption Exposed, Go To Judicial Watch's "Corruption Chrinicles"
When anyone who cares about These United States, even a little bit, peruses Judicial Watch's "Corruption Chronicles," you get the joint urge to cheer and cry.  You want to cheer because Judicial Watch - by no means a conservative or Republican Operation, is the one organization that takes the time and makes the effort to expose the ridiculous and really awful things that go on in the administration of Barack H. Obama.  You want to cry because, one, this stuff is really happening with the support and succor of Obama, and two, because the mainstream media avoids digging into and reporting on the corruption like it was the bane of its collective existance.  Well, maybe it is.

When I turned there just now, these are the headlines:
1.   One "year after freeing tens of thousands of illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is distorting annual deportation figures by falsely claiming the number of criminal aliens removed from the U.S. keeps increasing when in fact it’s shrinking drastically."

2.  "With the region—and the entire nation—still reeling from the San Bernardino terrorist attacks, a federal appellate court is considering whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should be punished for surveilling Muslims in a nearby southern California county."

3.  "The Secretary of Homeland Security is the second high-ranking Obama administration official with a relative investigated for Communism by the U.S. government, Judicial Watch has confirmed. This is relevant because, although Islamic terrorists keep attacking America, the cabinet official responsible for the nation’s safety has vowed to protect Muslims from…"

4.  "A Middle Eastern woman was caught surveilling a U.S. port of entry on the Mexican border holding a sketchbook with Arabic writing and drawings of the facility and its security system, federal law enforcement sources tell Judicial Watch. The woman has been identified as 23-year-old Leila Abdelrazaq, according to a…"

5.  "In the aftermath of President Obama’s mass release of federal inmates, the administration is spending huge amounts of taxpayer funds to help the prematurely discharged convicts reintegrate into society, most lately $20 million to assist them in finding jobs. It’s all part of the commander-in-chief’s broader effort to reform the…"

6.  "It appears that Islamic extremists are infiltrating the United States in growing numbers yet government figures show that foreigners are hardly ever removed from the country on terrorism grounds. This is not surprising considering the Obama administration regularly shields criminal illegal immigrants with extensive rap sheets from deportation. Why not…"

7.  "Individuals with ties to terrorist groups in Syria have tried to infiltrate the United States through the Obama refugee program that will admit at least 10,000 Syrians, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has confirmed. The disturbing admission comes amid robust assurances by the administration that the…"

8.  "It’s been well documented that government wastes enormous amounts of money on all sorts of outrageous things and now some of the enraging details are available in a lengthy report that reveals how the cash is being spent, like studying bugs’ reactions to artificial light, a weight-loss program for truck…"

This is only from Page 1 of the "Corruption Chronicles," and each and every one of these leads is followed by an in-depth account of the corrupt practice or deed together with an explanation of its impact and other contextual details.  Don't waste your time getting the news exclusively from the New York Times or Washington Post because you won't really know what is going on in the world.  Instead, stop at Judicial Watch and their Corruption Chronicles first.  Use the leftist-leaning media to round things out. At least that's how I see it.



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Today we present Part 5 of Credible and Incisive's Real Christmas Story.  If you have read any of the first four parts, you know that the Real Christmas Story is, in fact, just that, a verbatim account of the Birth of Christ taken directly from the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew.  Part 4 included the conclusion of the account provided in St. Matthew.  Today we continue with more of St. Luke's account.

From the Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 2, beginning with Verse 4: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, Verse 5: to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  Verse 6: And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.  Verse 7: And she gave birth to her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, for there was no room for him in the inn.

Verse 8: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  Verse 9: And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with fear.  Verse 10: And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; Verse 11: for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  Verse 12: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."  Verse 13: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Verse 14: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" (some ancient authorities quote the heavenly host as saying, "peace, good will among men...")  

Verse 15: When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."  Verse 16: And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  Verse 17: And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning the child; Verse 18: and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  Verse 19: But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.  Verse 20: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Part 6 of the Real Christmas Story will be printed tomorrow, December 24, 2015, God Willing, in Credible and Incisive.  It will be the Biblical Account, found in the second chapter of St. Luke, of Christ's circumscision and of the trip to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem that was taken by Mary and Joseph, with Jesus Christ, to offer a sacrifice to God in accord with the Law of Moses.

Christmas Poetry Continued: Continuing now with a selection of poetry that centers on Christmas.  So far, Credible and Incisive - with a large shout out to the web site "Poem Hunter," has printed poems by Longfellow, Tennyson, Coleridge and Frost.  Two of them are English and two of them are American.  Today, we present poems authored by Wordsworth, and Englishman, and Stevenson, a Scot. Many of you know that Wordsworth teamed with Coleridge in 1798 to jointly publish a work entitled "Lyrical Ballads," that is credited with launching the Romantic Age of English Literature.  Stevenson was a contemporary of both Wordsworth and Coleridge, but he is best remembered for his novels "Treasure Island," "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "Kidnapped."

Minstrels

by William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850)

The minstrels played their Christmas tune

To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;

While, smitten by a lofty moon,

The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,

Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,

That overpowered their natural green.

Through hill and valley every breeze

Had sunk to rest with folded wings:

Keen was the air, but could not freeze,

Nor check, the music of the strings;

So stout and hardy were the band

That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.

And who but listened?-till was paid

Respect to every inmate's claim,

The greeting given, the music played

In honour of each household name,

Duly pronounced with lusty call,

And 'Merry Christmas' wished to all. 

Christmas at Sea

by Robert Louis Stevenson (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850)

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand;

The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand;

The wind was a nor'wester, blowing squally off the sea;

And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee.

They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day;

But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay.

We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,

And we gave her the maintops'l, and stood by to go about.

All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North;

All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth;

All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,

For very life and nature we tacked from head to head.

We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide race roared;

But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard:

So's we saw the cliffs and houses, and the breakers running high,

And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye.

The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam;

The good red fires were burning bright in every 'long-shore home;

The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out;

And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about.

The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer;

For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)

This day of our adversity was blessed Christmas morn,

And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born.

O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,

My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair;

And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,

Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves.

And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,

Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea;

And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,

To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessed Christmas Day.

They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall.

'All hands to loose top gallant sails,' I heard the captain call.

'By the Lord, she'll never stand it,' our first mate, Jackson, cried.

. . . 'It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson,' he replied.

She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,

And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood.

As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,

'We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light.

And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,

As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea;

But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,

Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old. 

Christmas Carols Continued: Readers here have been able to read the lyrics of two great Christmas Carols in our last two posts.  We started with "O Holy Night," and continued, yesterday, with "Silent Night," or "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht," as it is known in German.  Silent Night was composed in Austria in the German Language, and we included the German lyrics as well as the English.  Today we continue with the beautifully humble, poignant and wonderful "In the Bleak Midwinter."  The work originated as a poem by the English woman Christina Rossetti.  According to Wikipedia, Rossetti authored the work prior to 1872, but it wasn't published until after her death, when her "Poetic Works" were released in 1904.  The poem became a hymm and Christmas Carol when it was included in the English Hymnal published in 1906.  The brilliant composer Gustav Holst had written the music. 

In the Bleak Midwinter

by Christina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894)

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,

Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;

Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,

The ox and ass and camel which adore.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;

But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart. 

Retrial Set for June, 2016 for Baltimore Police Officer Charged in Death of Freddie Gray; Real Christmas Story, Part 4, With Christmas Poetry and a Christmas Carol

BALTIMORE, Maryland December 22, 2015 - The Judge presiding over the trials of six Baltimore City Police Officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray has set a June 13, 2016 date for the retrial of the officer whose trial was the first to take place.  A Baltimore City Circuit Court Jury was unable to reach a verdict in any of the four charges against Officer William Porter, 26.  If convicted on all counts, Porter could receive a jail sentence of up to 25 years.

In Baltimore, where protests took place daily under a window of the courtroom where the Porter trial was taking place, the mood was ominous.  Protestors carried signs that read, "Police Brutality and Murder Must Stop.  We Need Revolution," and "Good Cops Don't Let Bad Cops Brutalize Citizens." Police officers from throughout the state readied for action at a park about two miles from the Courthouse, and authorities closed streets around the courthouse to keep commuters from unwittingly becoming involved with protestors.  Police said that, overall, the protesting remained peaceful, although two were arrested, including one man who continued to use a megaphone while court was in session.  Defense attorneys have argued repeatedly for a change in venue, arguing that the angry protesting right outside the courtroom - which can be heard in the courtroom - intimidates jurors.

The jury eventually seated in the Porter trial realized almost at once that they would be deadlocked.  A note saying that the jury was deadlocked was passed to Judge Barry Williams only a few hours after deliberations began.  Williams admonished the jury to continue deliberating, but other notes informed the court that these deliberations were not changing the minds of jurors who disagreed with each other. 

Williams insisted that jurors not disclose the numbers on either side of the deadlocked jury, and no numbers - such as  9 for acquittal and 3 for a finding of guilty - have been leaked to the media.  The prosecution selected the four-count case against Porter as the one they wanted to try first, because they believed if he was convicted, his testimony could be used against the other five offices.  But with a mistrial and hung jury, Porter can claim his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination and refuse to offer such testimony.  Porter did testify in his own defense and at several points alleged that it was the driver of the police wagon, who is also charged in the incident, as being the person ultimately responsible for belting Freddie Gray into the back of the wagon.

In its closing argument, the prosecution told the jury that Porter was a liar and was lying to the jury to avoid conviction.  Such allegations by the prosecution may make it very difficult to put him on the stand against his fellow officers.  

Gray died in the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center several days after sustaining a broken neck and other injuries while riding in the back of the City Police Wagon.  He was in the wagon after being arrested in connection with his attempt to flee from police as they arrived at a suspected West Baltimore open air drug sales emporium.  It was initially alleged that Gray had been beaten by police and sustained his injury during such a beating.  But subsequently the evidence emerged from the coroner's office and other sources that proved police did not beat or otherwise physically mistreat Gray.  Videos show Gray alleging injury, but the injury that killed him would have rendered him unable to speak or move his limbs, things he was clearly able to do before entering the police wagon.

The charges against the six officers - all of whom have been released from custody on their own recognizance - stem from the state's allegations that they did not move with reasonable speed to obtain medical aide for Gray after he sustained his fatal injuries, which testimony at the Porter trial indicated took place between the fourth and fifth stops made by the police wagon after Gray was put inside.  The wagon stopped to pick up at least one other prisoner.  Gray was ultimately taken for emergency treatment.  The defense contends that Gray's apparent habit of asking to be taken from the hospital, not only on the day of his death but in previous incidents where he was taken into custody, acted almost to create a 'cry wolf' atmosphere when he made requests for medical care.

The next trial of one of the six charged police officers is scheduled for the second week of January.

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Parts one, two and three of Credible and Incisive's presentation of the Real Christmas Story have already been posted.  Please see posts dated December 14, 18 and 21.  Today, we print Part 4 of our presentation, which, to be candid, is a verbatim printing of the events leading up to and including the Birth of Christ that are set forth in the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke.  The version of the Bible being used is the Revised Standard Version.  This is the version of the Bible given to me by my parents when I was in the second grade.  It is the Bible that I use almost exclusively, although I have tremendous respect and adoration for the King James Version.

From the Gospel of St. Luke, Chapter 1, beginning with Verse 57: Now the time came for Elizabeth to be delivered, and she gave birth to a son.  Verse 58: And her neighbors and kinsfolk heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.  Verse 59: And on the eighth day they came to circumsize the child; and they would have named him Zeccariah after his father; Verse 60: but his mother said, "Not so; he shall be called John."  Verse 61: And they said to her, "None of your kindred is called by this name." Verse 62: And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he would have him called.  Verse 63: And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John."  And they all marveled.  Verse 64: And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.  Verse 65: And fear came on all their neighbors.  And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, Verse 66: and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?"  For the hand of the Lord was with him.

Verse 67: And his father Zeccariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesized, saying, 

Verse 68: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

for he has visited and redeemed his people,

Verse 69: and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

in the house of his servant, David,

Verse 70: as he spoke by the mouth of his holy

prophets from of old,

Verse 71: that we should be saved from our enemies,

and from the hand of all who hate us;

Verse 72: to perform the mercy promised to our fathers,

and to remember his holy covenant,

Verse 73: the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, 

Verse 74: to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand

of our enemies, 

might serve him without fear,

Verse 75: in holiness and righteousness before him

all the days of our life.

Verse 76: And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

Verse 77: to give knowledge of salvation to his people

in the forgiveness of their sins,

Verse 78: through the tender mercy of our God,

when the day shall dawn upon us from on high

Verse 79: to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Verse 80: And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness till the day of his manifestation to Israel.

Chapter 2, Verse 1: In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.  Verse 2: This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  Verse 3: And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

From the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 2, beginning with Verse 19: But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Verse 20: "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead."  Verse 21: And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  Verse 22: But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.  Verse 23: And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

Part 5 of the Real Christmas Story will appear in the next post of Credible and Incisive.

Christmas Poems continued:
In the Credible and Incisive post of December 21, 2015 we continued a tradition began last year with the printing of a Christmas Poem.  A few of you may recall that John Milton's epic-lengthed poem, "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," was printed last Christmas season.  This year, the credit for the words of the poems goes to PoemHunter.com.  Yesterday, we started the Christmas Poetry printings with poems by the English Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the American, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  Today, again, we have a poem by the great English Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and the equally great American Poet Robert Frost.

Ring Out, Wild Bells

by Alfred Lord Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892)

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light;

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,

For those that here we see no more,

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be. 

Christmas Trees

by Robert Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963)

The city had withdrawn into itself

And left at last the country to the country; 

When between whirls of snow not come to lie

And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove

A stranger to our yard, who looked the city,

Yet did in country fashion in that there

He sat and waited till he drew us out

A-buttoning coats to ask him who he was.

He proved to be the city come again

To look for something it had left behind

And could not do without and keep its Christmas.

He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees; 

My woods—the young fir balsams like a place

Where houses all are churches and have spires.

I hadn’t thought of them as Christmas Trees.

I doubt if I was tempted for a moment

To sell them off their feet to go in cars

And leave the slope behind the house all bare,

Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon.

I’d hate to have them know it if I was.

Yet more I’d hate to hold my trees except

As others hold theirs or refuse for them,

Beyond the time of profitable growth,

The trial by market everything must come to.

I dallied so much with the thought of selling.

Then whether from mistaken courtesy

And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether

From hope of hearing good of what was mine,

I said, “There aren’t enough to be worth while.”

“I could soon tell how many they would cut,

You let me look them over.”

“You could look.

But don’t expect I’m going to let you have them.”

Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close

That lop each other of boughs, but not a few

Quite solitary and having equal boughs

All round and round. The latter he nodded “Yes” to,

Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one,

With a buyer’s moderation, “That would do.”

I thought so too, but wasn’t there to say so.

We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over,

And came down on the north.

He said, “A thousand.”

“A thousand Christmas trees! —at what apiece? ”

He felt some need of softening that to me:

“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.”

Then I was certain I had never meant

To let him have them. Never show surprise! 

But thirty dollars seemed so small beside

The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents

(For that was all they figured out apiece) ,

Three cents so small beside the dollar friends

I should be writing to within the hour

Would pay in cities for good trees like those,

Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools

Could hang enough on to pick off enough.

A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had! 

Worth three cents more to give away than sell,

As may be shown by a simple calculation.

Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter.

I can’t help wishing I could send you one,

In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas. 

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Yesterday we also printed three verses from the wonderful and quite moving Christmas Carol, "O Holy Night."  The reason we printed three verses is because the third verse is this writer's favorite.  Today, the words of another favorite Carol, Silent Night.  Wikipedia tells us that the song was originally composed in German and called, Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht.  The tune was written in1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.  In 1858, John Freeman Young, an American, translated the lyrics to English.  These are Young's lurics, followed by Mohr's German lyrics:

Silent night, holy night,

all is calm, all is bright

round yon virgin mother and child.

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

sleep in heavenly peace,

sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,

shepherds quake at the sight;

glories stream from heaven afar,

heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love's pure light;

radiant beams from thy holy face

with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,

wondrous star, lend thy light;

with the angels let us sing,

Alleluia to our King;

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born!

And Mohr's original German lyrics:

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,

Alles schläft; einsam wacht

Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.

Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,

Hirten erst kundgemacht

Durch der Engel Halleluja,

Tönt es laut von fern und nah:

Christ, der Retter ist da!

Christ, der Retter ist da!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,

Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht

Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,

Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.

Christ, in deiner Geburt!

Christ, in deiner Geburt!

I suppose it is obvious that Mr. Young wrote a verse on his own.