I.
The Pope on Christmas Day
       &nbspSits in Saint Peter’s chair;
But the peoples murmur and say
       &nbsp“Our souls are sick and forlorn,
And who will show us where
       &nbspIs the stable where Christ was born?”

II.
The star is lost in the dark;
       &nbspThe manger is lost in the straw;
The Christ cries faintly ... hark!...
       &nbspThrough bands that swaddle and strangle—
But the Pope in the chair of awe
       &nbspLooks down the great quadrangle.

III.
The Magi kneel at his foot,
       &nbspKings of the East and West,
But, instead of the angels (mute
       &nbspIs the “Peace on earth” of their song),
The peoples, perplexed and opprest,
       &nbspAre sighing “How long, how long?”

IV.
And, instead of the kine, bewilder in
       &nbspShadow of aisle and dome,
The bear who tore up the children,
       &nbspThe fox who burnt up the corn,
And the wolf who suckled at Rome
       &nbspBrothers to slay and to scorn.
V.
Cardinals left and right of him,
       &nbspWorshippers round and beneath,
The silver trumpets at sight of him
       &nbspThrill with a musical blast:
But the people say through their teeth,
       &nbsp“Trumpets? we wait for the Last!”

VI.
He sits in the place of the Lord,
       &nbspAnd asks for the gifts of the time;
Gold, for the haft of a sword
       &nbspTo win back Romagna averse,
Incense, to sweeten a crime,
       &nbspAnd myrrh, to embitter a curse.

VII.
Then a king of the West said “Good!—
       &nbspI bring thee the gifts of the time;
Red, for the patriot’s blood,
       &nbspGreen, for the martyr’s crown,
White, for the dew and the rime,
       &nbspWhen the morning of God comes down.”


VIII.
—O mystic tricolor bright!
       &nbspThe Pope’s heart quailed like a man’s;
The cardinals froze at the sight,
       &nbspBowing their tonsures hoary:
And the eyes in the peacock-fans
       &nbspWinked at the alien glory.

IX.
But the peoples exclaimed in hope,
       &nbsp“Now blessed be he who has brought
These gifts of the time to the Pope,
       &nbspWhen our souls were sick and forlorn.
—And here is the star we sought,
       &nbspTo show us where Christ was born!”