In Memoriam A.H.H. (Ring Out, Wild Bells)

Ring Out the Old

¹Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

²The flying cloud, the frosty light:

³The year is dying in the night;

⁴Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

⁵Ring out the old, ring in the new,

⁶Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

⁷The year is going, let him go;

⁸Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring Out the Sorrow

⁹Ring out the grief that saps the mind

¹⁰For those that here we see no more;

¹¹Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

¹²Ring in redress to all mankind.

¹³Ring out a slowly dying cause,

¹⁴And ancient forms of party strife;

¹⁵Ring in the nobler modes of life,

¹⁶With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring Out the False

¹⁷Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

¹⁸The faithless coldness of the times;

¹⁹Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

²⁰But ring the fuller minstrel in.

²¹Ring out false pride in place and blood,

²²The civic slander and the spite;

²³Ring in the love of truth and right,

²⁴Ring in the common love of good.

Ring In the New

²⁵Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

²⁶Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

²⁷Ring out the thousand wars of old,

²⁸Ring in the thousand years of peace.

²⁹Ring in the valiant man and free,

³⁰The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

³¹Ring out the darkness of the land,

³²Ring in the Christ that is to be.