 | Poems : medley and Palestina |  |
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THE STORY OF JERUSALEM
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The Messenger.
I saw the Mighty on His throne,
Uplifted, awful, beautiful,
His angels round him thronging full
The temple to its topmost stone.
Uplifted, awful, beautiful,
His angels round him thronging full
The temple to its topmost stone.
Above Him soared the seraphim
With pinions folded o'er the face
Because the brightness of the place
Might make immortal senses swim.
With pinions folded o'er the face
Because the brightness of the place
Might make immortal senses swim.
Then one invisible to me
(So dazzled was I by the flame),
Cried, “Holy, holy is his name!
His glory covers earth and sea.”
(So dazzled was I by the flame),
Cried, “Holy, holy is his name!
His glory covers earth and sea.”
Meanwhile the brazen gateways reeled
And all the temple rocked in smoke,
So mighty was the voice that spoke,
So fearful was the sight revealed.
And all the temple rocked in smoke,
So mighty was the voice that spoke,
So fearful was the sight revealed.
Then said I, “Woe is me! undone!
Because I am a man unclean;
And yet my sinful eyes have seen
The Lord of hosts, the Holy One.”
Because I am a man unclean;
And yet my sinful eyes have seen
The Lord of hosts, the Holy One.”
Thereon a seraph flew anear
And laid upon my lips a coal:
“Lo this hath purified thy soul
And made thee worthy to be here.”
And laid upon my lips a coal:
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And made thee worthy to be here.”
Then where the glory folded high
A heavenly voice responded low:
“Who is my herald? Who will go?”—
I answered: “Send me! Here am I.”
A heavenly voice responded low:
“Who is my herald? Who will go?”—
I answered: “Send me! Here am I.”
The Message.
O land of carven imageries,
Where every man doth hew his god,
And every forehead beats the sod
Before the dumb and sightless lies!
Where every man doth hew his god,
And every forehead beats the sod
Before the dumb and sightless lies!
The peasant worships in his cot,
The lordling in his pictured hall;
They turn from Thee, both great and small;
Therefore, my God, forgive them not.
The lordling in his pictured hall;
They turn from Thee, both great and small;
Therefore, my God, forgive them not.
The anger of the Lord is rolled
On all the arrogant and proud,
The steeds and chariots clanking loud,
The stores of silver and of gold;
On all the arrogant and proud,
The steeds and chariots clanking loud,
The stores of silver and of gold;
The groves of terebinth and oak
Where Baal delights in dance and song,
And Moloch scowls upon his throng
Of worshippers through flame and smoke;
Where Baal delights in dance and song,
And Moloch scowls upon his throng
Of worshippers through flame and smoke;
The beetling towers and battlements,
The marble courts and palaces,
The ships of Tarshish cleaving seas
From isles of gum and frankincense.
The marble courts and palaces,
The ships of Tarshish cleaving seas
From isles of gum and frankincense.
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In that affrighted day shall men
Cast out their idols to the moles,
And hide within the mountain holes,
And fight with monsters for a den.
Cast out their idols to the moles,
And hide within the mountain holes,
And fight with monsters for a den.
For terribly shall God descend
Upon the wicked, wicked earth
To sweep it like a besomed hearth
Till Judah's strong delusions end.
Upon the wicked, wicked earth
To sweep it like a besomed hearth
Till Judah's strong delusions end.
The Curse.
The righteous dieth day by day,
The merciful is borne apart;
And none receiveth it to heart,
Or saith, “Behold they 'scape away.”
The merciful is borne apart;
And none receiveth it to heart,
Or saith, “Behold they 'scape away.”
They 'scape from cruelty and stress;
They enter into perfect calm;
They sleep upon their beds of balm,
Each folded sweet in holiness.
They enter into perfect calm;
They sleep upon their beds of balm,
Each folded sweet in holiness.
But you, the sons of pagan shame,
Vile heritors of breeds perverse,
Draw near and hearken to the curse
That God hath bidden me proclaim.
Vile heritors of breeds perverse,
Draw near and hearken to the curse
That God hath bidden me proclaim.
O brood unholy, evil born,
Ye mock the voice that angels fear,
Ye thrust the tongue in wicked leer,
Ye open wide a mouth of scorn.
Ye mock the voice that angels fear,
Ye thrust the tongue in wicked leer,
Ye open wide a mouth of scorn.
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On every hill ye worship lies,
In every grove ye mutter spells,
And slay your sons in bloody dells
To gods who cannot hear their cries.
In every grove ye mutter spells,
And slay your sons in bloody dells
To gods who cannot hear their cries.
In rivulets of glen and cave
Ye pour your offerings of wine,
And call the senseless flints divine
That glimmer through the senseless wave.
Ye pour your offerings of wine,
And call the senseless flints divine
That glimmer through the senseless wave.
Shall I rejoice, Jehovah saith,
In rites and blasphemies like these,
In dances underneath the trees,
And chants upon the mountain heath?
In rites and blasphemies like these,
In dances underneath the trees,
And chants upon the mountain heath?
Behold, when foemen mount your wall,
And ye discern your temples blaze;
When slaughter reddens all your ways,
And spoilers run from hall to hall;
And ye discern your temples blaze;
When slaughter reddens all your ways,
And spoilers run from hall to hall;
When judgment overtakes your crime,
And ye beseech me from the dust;
Let those deliver whom ye trust,
The tempest-driven sons of time!
And ye beseech me from the dust;
Let those deliver whom ye trust,
The tempest-driven sons of time!
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The Judgment.
Thus sayeth Jehovah, the Lord:Go speak to the mountains of Zion,
Yea, cry to the valleys and waters:
Behold, I arrive with a sword,
Behold, I come up like a lion;
I come to destroy your high places,
To spoil and defile them with slaughters.
Your idols shall fall on their faces,
Your altars shall totter and crumble,
Your soothsaying prophets shall die,
And there, where your graven gods tumble,
The slain of your people shall lie.
The hand of my fury shall blight
And wither and utterly humble
The oaks of your heathen delight,
The beautiful groves that ye cherish.
The breath of my anger shall waste
Your armies with sudden affright
And fill your strongholds with amaze.
Your populous cities shall perish,
The warders shall fall in their haste,
Shall stumble and die in their flight
And cumber with corpses the ways.
Yea, mingled with imageries shattered
In temples and groves and by waters;
Yea, piled around altars bespattered
By victims of Baalim abhorred;
The bones of your sons and your daughters
Shall whiten unburied and scattered,
To witness that I am the Lord.
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The Fast.
“Behold,” the sons of Judah say,
“How many solemn fasts we hold!
How many contrite psalms are rolled!
And yet He turns his face away.”
“How many solemn fasts we hold!
How many contrite psalms are rolled!
And yet He turns his face away.”
Alas! ye fast for hate and strife,
To smite with cruel fist the poor,
And drive the beggar from the door
That guards your light and pampered life.
To smite with cruel fist the poor,
And drive the beggar from the door
That guards your light and pampered life.
Is this the fast that God decrees,
A day for man to scourge his soul
And bow in counterfeited dole
Like rushes smitten by the breeze?
A day for man to scourge his soul
And bow in counterfeited dole
Like rushes smitten by the breeze?
What boots it though ye crawl and weep,
In sackcloth hiding garments fair,
And sprinkle cinders on the hair,
All day upon the ashen heap?
In sackcloth hiding garments fair,
And sprinkle cinders on the hair,
All day upon the ashen heap?
Behold the fast that God ordains:
To break the yoke of wickedness;
To ease the burden of distress;
To loose the slave's and debtor's chains;
To break the yoke of wickedness;
To ease the burden of distress;
To loose the slave's and debtor's chains;
To lead the houseless one within;
To cheer his fainting soul with bread;
To clothe him, warm him, in thy stead;
To be a brother to thy kin.
To cheer his fainting soul with bread;
To clothe him, warm him, in thy stead;
To be a brother to thy kin.
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Then, when thou askest any boon,
Thy God will answer, “Here am I!”
His sun will rise upon thy sky,
And all thy darkness turn to noon.
Thy God will answer, “Here am I!”
His sun will rise upon thy sky,
And all thy darkness turn to noon.
The City of Destruction.
Woe, woe to the city imperial,
The delicate city!
There cometh a shadow funereal,
A doom without pity.
The delicate city!
There cometh a shadow funereal,
A doom without pity.
Thy daughters walk pertly and haughtily;
They mince as in dances;
They bridle the neck; they turn naughtily
With wantoning glances.
They mince as in dances;
They bridle the neck; they turn naughtily
With wantoning glances.
Thine ancients are misers, usurious;
Thy judges are knavish;
Thine opulent ones are luxurious;
Thy mean ones are slavish.
Thy judges are knavish;
Thine opulent ones are luxurious;
Thy mean ones are slavish.
Thy magistrates creep in senility;
Thy prophets dissemble;
Thy counsellors babble sterility;
Thy men of war tremble.
Thy prophets dissemble;
Thy counsellors babble sterility;
Thy men of war tremble.
Thou wast altogether victorious
When God was thy pleasure;
Thy visage was shining and glorious,
Thy joy had no measure.
When God was thy pleasure;
Thy visage was shining and glorious,
Thy joy had no measure.
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But now art thou wayward, undutiful
To Him, thy salvation;
And so art thou blemished, unbeautiful,
A doom-stricken nation.
To Him, thy salvation;
And so art thou blemished, unbeautiful,
A doom-stricken nation.
Because thou hast borne thee exultingly
And trampled the lowly;
Because thou hast chattered insultingly
Of things that are holy;
And trampled the lowly;
Because thou hast chattered insultingly
Of things that are holy;
Because thou despiseth admonishment
And holdest to error;
Thy judgment shall be an astonishment,
Thy scourging a terror.
And holdest to error;
Thy judgment shall be an astonishment,
Thy scourging a terror.
The Chambers of Imagery.
I saw the image of the Name.
The loins and robe were amber bright,
The waist was girt about with light,
And all above was dazzling flame.
The loins and robe were amber bright,
The waist was girt about with light,
And all above was dazzling flame.
It reached the likeness of a hand,
And bore me 'twixt the earth and sky
To where an idol brazens nigh
The holy fane of Judah's land;
And bore me 'twixt the earth and sky
To where an idol brazens nigh
The holy fane of Judah's land;
And showed me all the evil ways
Of Zion, lost in unbelief,
And wandering from grief to grief,
From guilt to guilt, in blinded maze.
Of Zion, lost in unbelief,
And wandering from grief to grief,
From guilt to guilt, in blinded maze.
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I saw the under courts of sin,
The hidden shrines of carven lies,
The darkling vaults of imageries,
And Judah worshipping therein;
The hidden shrines of carven lies,
The darkling vaults of imageries,
And Judah worshipping therein;
The chosen ancients of our race,
The hallowed seventy, kneeling there,
With solemn eyes and silver hair,
While incense clouded all the place;
The hallowed seventy, kneeling there,
With solemn eyes and silver hair,
While incense clouded all the place;
Judean maids with humbled head
And ashen locks and rended vest,
Who cut the arm and beat the breast
In wicked wail for Tammuz dead;
And ashen locks and rended vest,
Who cut the arm and beat the breast
In wicked wail for Tammuz dead;
Yea, men within the holy gate,
Who reverenced the star of day,
And turned their senseless gaze away
From Yahveh's choir and templed state.
Who reverenced the star of day,
And turned their senseless gaze away
From Yahveh's choir and templed state.
Then said the Holy One, “Behold!
Thou seest what my people do:
Therefore I will not spare nor rue,
But smite them fiercely, young and old.”
Thou seest what my people do:
Therefore I will not spare nor rue,
But smite them fiercely, young and old.”
The Warning.
Storm out, ye trumpeters of death!
Along my holy mountain, blow!
Awaken larums wild with woe!
Blow, cruel trumpets! spare no breath!
Along my holy mountain, blow!
Awaken larums wild with woe!
Blow, cruel trumpets! spare no breath!
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For lo, Jehovah's day of might
Is nigh: a day of bitter doom:
A day of darkness and of gloom:
Of thickened clouds and heavy night.
Is nigh: a day of bitter doom:
A day of darkness and of gloom:
Of thickened clouds and heavy night.
Like morning mists, that overspread
The mountains, comes a northern swarm,
A people great and fierce, whose form
The living knew not, nor the dead.
The mountains, comes a northern swarm,
A people great and fierce, whose form
The living knew not, nor the dead.
Before their swiftness rolls a smoke;
Behind them angry flamings rise;
Before, the land is Paradise;
Behind, a waste devoid of folk.
Behind them angry flamings rise;
Before, the land is Paradise;
Behind, a waste devoid of folk.
Their guise is like to steeds who stride
And foam along the front of wars;
Their clamor, like to leaping cars
That thunder down the mountain side.
And foam along the front of wars;
Their clamor, like to leaping cars
That thunder down the mountain side.
As mighty ones they run apace,
As chosen ones they mount and climb;
Each keeps his even rank and time,
Nor ever falters from his place.
As chosen ones they mount and climb;
Each keeps his even rank and time,
Nor ever falters from his place.
They scale the battlemented walls,
They speed along the city streets;
Behold them in your fair retreats!
Behold them in your lordly halls!
They speed along the city streets;
Behold them in your fair retreats!
Behold them in your lordly halls!
The earth recoils before their tread,
The sun and moon withdraw their light,
The starry armies faint in night,
The hollow welkins reel in dread.
The sun and moon withdraw their light,
The starry armies faint in night,
The hollow welkins reel in dread.
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Wherefore, renounce your ways of ill,
O house of Judah! Turn! Repent
With eager fasting and lament!
Perhaps your God will pardon still.
O house of Judah! Turn! Repent
With eager fasting and lament!
Perhaps your God will pardon still.
The Spoiler.
I bring destruction—hear, O land!—
I bring destruction on your race,
Because ye turn away the face,
Because ye scoff at my command.
I bring destruction on your race,
Because ye turn away the face,
Because ye scoff at my command.
What care I for your honeyed cane,
Your smoke of Sheba's frankincense?
Go, take your sacrifices hence!
Your loaded altars burn in vain.
Your smoke of Sheba's frankincense?
Go, take your sacrifices hence!
Your loaded altars burn in vain.
Behold, I lay a stumbling stone
Before you; all shall perish, all;
The fathers and the sons shall fall;
The friend, the comrade; every one.
Before you; all shall perish, all;
The fathers and the sons shall fall;
The friend, the comrade; every one.
A people hastens from afar
To desolate your might and mirth;
It journeys from the sides of earth
To seek and overtake and mar.
To desolate your might and mirth;
It journeys from the sides of earth
To seek and overtake and mar.
Their hearts are merciless to slay;
They clamor like the ocean storm;
They brandish bow and lance; they swarm
On horses ranked in war array.
They clamor like the ocean storm;
They brandish bow and lance; they swarm
On horses ranked in war array.
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Be fearful; hold within the gate;
Avoid the harvests of your field;
They hide the foeman's sword and shield;
On every side the slayers wait.
Avoid the harvests of your field;
They hide the foeman's sword and shield;
On every side the slayers wait.
O daughter of my people, cry!
Cry out with ashes on your head,
Like one bewailing o'er the dead,
For lo, the spoiler draweth nigh!
Cry out with ashes on your head,
Like one bewailing o'er the dead,
For lo, the spoiler draweth nigh!
The Siege.
I seek the fields, the gardens fair,
And stumble o'er the bloody slain;
I creep within the gates again,
And lo, they die of famine there.
And stumble o'er the bloody slain;
I creep within the gates again,
And lo, they die of famine there.
The prophet wanders in amaze,
As one who gropeth with the hand;
He knoweth not his native land,
He findeth not the ancient ways.
As one who gropeth with the hand;
He knoweth not his native land,
He findeth not the ancient ways.
Why hast Thou scorned Jerusalem,
And hated all Thy holy hill?
Why hast Thou smitten us, until
No hand may heal the broken stem?
And hated all Thy holy hill?
Why hast Thou smitten us, until
No hand may heal the broken stem?
We know our wickedness, O Lord,
The wickedness of son and sire;
Yet veil Thy countenance of ire,
Nor hold us evermore abhorred.
The wickedness of son and sire;
Yet veil Thy countenance of ire,
Nor hold us evermore abhorred.
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Because of Thy majestic name,
Because Thy throne is glorious,
Break not Thy covenant with us,
Thy prostrate people, clothed in shame.
Because Thy throne is glorious,
Break not Thy covenant with us,
Thy prostrate people, clothed in shame.
Overthrow.
I looked upon the earth; and lo
A hollow void where life was spent;
I looked upon the firmament,
And saw nor sun nor aster glow.
A hollow void where life was spent;
I looked upon the firmament,
And saw nor sun nor aster glow.
The hills were stricken to their fall,
The mountains reeled like driven waves;
Mankind had vanished into graves,
And silence brooded over all.
The mountains reeled like driven waves;
Mankind had vanished into graves,
And silence brooded over all.
The melodists of morn had failed,
The fragrant gardens lay a-waste;
The haughty cities were abased
To ruins, where the owlet wailed.
The fragrant gardens lay a-waste;
The haughty cities were abased
To ruins, where the owlet wailed.
Because of rushing steeds, and din
Of archers, they arose in flight
To fen and wold and rocky height,
Nor any man remained therein.
Of archers, they arose in flight
To fen and wold and rocky height,
Nor any man remained therein.
Yea, scattered were they; hurled before
The coming of the Lord of hosts;
His anger quelled their swelling boasts
And swept them like a besomed floor.
The coming of the Lord of hosts;
His anger quelled their swelling boasts
And swept them like a besomed floor.
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“Because I purposed it,” he saith,
“Because I promised in my wrath,
I will not turn upon my path,
Nor sorrow when they sink to death.
“Because I promised in my wrath,
I will not turn upon my path,
Nor sorrow when they sink to death.
“Because I prophesied their doom,
The land shall lie a wilderness,
The earth shall mourn in sore distress,
The firmament be veiled in gloom.”
The land shall lie a wilderness,
The earth shall mourn in sore distress,
The firmament be veiled in gloom.”
Unsepulchred.
The glory of the land hath ceased
And scornful hands bring forth the bones
Of those who sate on Judah's thrones,
The bones of noble, seer and priest;
And scornful hands bring forth the bones
Of those who sate on Judah's thrones,
The bones of noble, seer and priest;
To scatter them before the host
Of shining heaven, the sun of noon,
The multitude of stars, the moon,
The senseless gods they worshipped most;
Of shining heaven, the sun of noon,
The multitude of stars, the moon,
The senseless gods they worshipped most;
And none shall see with pity; none
Shall hide them from the prowling brute;
But they shall lie beneath the foot
Without a covering or stone;
Shall hide them from the prowling brute;
But they shall lie beneath the foot
Without a covering or stone;
While those who lurk in mountain caves,
The remnant of an evil tribe,
Lean forth with bitter scowl and gibe,
Curse God and men, and pray for graves.
The remnant of an evil tribe,
Lean forth with bitter scowl and gibe,
Curse God and men, and pray for graves.
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The Sorrowful City.
How doth the city bide alone
That lately rang with multitudes,
A queen among the gentile broods,
A princess glorious on her throne!
That lately rang with multitudes,
A queen among the gentile broods,
A princess glorious on her throne!
She weepeth sorely through the night,
Her tears disguise her smitten face;
She wins no comforting nor grace
From those who called her their delight.
Her tears disguise her smitten face;
She wins no comforting nor grace
From those who called her their delight.
Her foes pursued her flying tread
And caught her 'mid the narrow ways;
She bowed her head in pale amaze;
In alien lands she bows her head.
And caught her 'mid the narrow ways;
She bowed her head in pale amaze;
In alien lands she bows her head.
The hallowed streets of Zion moan
Because her solemn feasts are spent;
Her gates are void, her towers rent,
Her virgins weep, her prophets groan.
Because her solemn feasts are spent;
Her gates are void, her towers rent,
Her virgins weep, her prophets groan.
Because her sins were manifold
Her children bear the heathen's chain,
Her adversaries thrive amain,
Her spoilers riot uncontrolled.
Her children bear the heathen's chain,
Her adversaries thrive amain,
Her spoilers riot uncontrolled.
The Lament.
Remember, Jehovah, our strait,
Remember our noyance.
The elders have failed from the gate,
The youths from their joyance.
Remember our noyance.
The elders have failed from the gate,
The youths from their joyance.
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Our fathers have sinned, and are not,
We bear their offences;
The stranger inherits our lot,
The foe our defences.
We bear their offences;
The stranger inherits our lot,
The foe our defences.
Our princes are tortured and slain,
Our daughters win scorning;
Our triumph hath ended in pain,
Our dances in mourning.
Our daughters win scorning;
Our triumph hath ended in pain,
Our dances in mourning.
The temple of God is defaced,
The temple of Zion;
Our beautiful hill is a waste
For foxes to lie on.
The temple of Zion;
Our beautiful hill is a waste
For foxes to lie on.
Thy kingdom remaineth, O Lord,
Forever and ever;
Why needest Thou hold us abhorred
And pardon us never?
Forever and ever;
Why needest Thou hold us abhorred
And pardon us never?
Behold us, O God, we implore.
Behold us in pity;
Restore thy sad people; restore
Thy sorrowing city.
Behold us in pity;
Restore thy sad people; restore
Thy sorrowing city.
By the Rivers of Babylon.
Beside Babylonian waters
We halted; we rested unsleeping;
We hushed; we remembered the slaughters
Of Zion; remembered them weeping.
We halted; we rested unsleeping;
We hushed; we remembered the slaughters
Of Zion; remembered them weeping.
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We covered our sorrowing faces,
Remembering Zion the splendid,
Her grandeurs, her delicate graces,
Now smitten and trampled and ended.
Remembering Zion the splendid,
Her grandeurs, her delicate graces,
Now smitten and trampled and ended.
With sobbing and tears we remembered,
And hung up our harps on the willows
For beautiful Canaan dismembered,
For Judah gone down in the billows.
And hung up our harps on the willows
For beautiful Canaan dismembered,
For Judah gone down in the billows.
And they who destroyed us, whose fury
Had ravined and torn like a lion,
Said, “Sport ye, O captives of Jewry;
Now sing us the anthems of Zion.”
Had ravined and torn like a lion,
Said, “Sport ye, O captives of Jewry;
Now sing us the anthems of Zion.”
Ye cruel! our anthems are praises
To God; they are joyous as bridals.
How may we attune the sweet phrases
To chains, amid aliens and idols?
To God; they are joyous as bridals.
How may we attune the sweet phrases
To chains, amid aliens and idols?
Jerusalem, should I forget thee,
Thou ruin that Babel disdaineth,
Or fail but a moment to set thee
Above every joy that remaineth;
Thou ruin that Babel disdaineth,
Or fail but a moment to set thee
Above every joy that remaineth;
Then perish the hand that hath holden
The harp while our choruses thundered!
And perish the cadences golden
That billowed till Israel wondered!
The harp while our choruses thundered!
And perish the cadences golden
That billowed till Israel wondered!
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The Vision of the Glory.
I
I sate with those who sighedIn bonds abhorred
Beside the Chebar's alien tide,
And saw the heavens cloven wide,
And saw the vision of the Lord.
II
Behold a northern hurricaneWhereon a monstrous cloud did sit.
Infolding whirls of fiery rain
With amber in the midst of it,
While brightness girdled all again.
III
From out the flying stormOf circling flame
And luminous amber color, came
Four wondrous living creatures,
Alike to Adam's sons in form
But other far in features;
For each beheld with fourfold eyes
And showed a fourfold face,
One countenance of human grace,
The others lordly beasts in guise,
Expressing things beyond surmise.
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IV
On fourfold wings they spedStraight forward, never turning,
Suffused with gleams from foot to head
Like coals of altars glowing red,
Or golden lamps a-burning,
While issued from the spangled splendor
Incessant lightnings keen and slender.
V
Above their foreheads shone,And trembled as they went,
A plumage woven of the firmament,
In color like a dreadful crystal stone.
The clamor of their wings surpassed
The noise of waters vast,
The roar of rivers downward driven,
The shout of billows tempest-riven.
VI
I saw them flyAthwart the earth's dominions,
Till suddenly, above the sky,
A mighty voice resounded;
Whereon they drooped their pinions
And stood with faces turned on high
Like creatures all confounded
Because of some great glory nigh.
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VII
Then, far beyond unaided ken,Appeared a blinding sapphire throne,
Whereon sate One, sublime, alone,
In fashion like the sons of men.
The Scroll of Retribution.
I saw the great and holy One,
In fashion like a man divine,
Devised of amber wondrous fine,
And filled with flamings like the sun.
In fashion like a man divine,
Devised of amber wondrous fine,
And filled with flamings like the sun.
Around him bright apparel blew,
Of mingled color, stain on stain,
Like to the bow that follows rain
Because Jehovah's word is true.
Of mingled color, stain on stain,
Like to the bow that follows rain
Because Jehovah's word is true.
Then falling on my face, I heard
A thunder far above my head,
A voice of thunderings that said,
“Arise and listen to my word.
A thunder far above my head,
A voice of thunderings that said,
“Arise and listen to my word.
“Arise and listen, son of man!
I send thee to an evil race
That scorns and ever scorned my grace,
Since first its little life began.
I send thee to an evil race
That scorns and ever scorned my grace,
Since first its little life began.
“Their utterance is full of stings,
Their looks are sharper than a spear;
Yet, even though they will not hear,
Proclaim the burden of these things.”
Their looks are sharper than a spear;
Yet, even though they will not hear,
Proclaim the burden of these things.”
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Then, reaching through the cloven skies,
A hand, resplendent, swiftly stole,
That held the seeming of a roll
And opened it before my eyes.
A hand, resplendent, swiftly stole,
That held the seeming of a roll
And opened it before my eyes.
I looked upon the roll, and lo
'Twas written close on either side;
Yet naught was written there beside
Lamenting, mourning, wail and woe.
'Twas written close on either side;
Yet naught was written there beside
Lamenting, mourning, wail and woe.
The Burden of Tyre.
O island city, throning high
Beside the gate of many seas,
Your tribute comes on every breeze
From lands beyond the circled sky.
Beside the gate of many seas,
Your tribute comes on every breeze
From lands beyond the circled sky.
It comes in many a galleon
Whose rowers toil on ivory seats,
While blue and purple broidered sheets
Curve out from masts of Lebanon.
Whose rowers toil on ivory seats,
While blue and purple broidered sheets
Curve out from masts of Lebanon.
For you the Persians bend the bow,
The Gammadim uplift the spear,
The helms of Lybia sparkle clear,
The shields of Lud and Arvad glow.
The Gammadim uplift the spear,
The helms of Lybia sparkle clear,
The shields of Lud and Arvad glow.
Your markets echo back the fume
Of merchants come from many a land
Beyond the wilderness of sand,
Beyond the wilderness of spume.
Of merchants come from many a land
Beyond the wilderness of sand,
Beyond the wilderness of spume.
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Your stalls abound in precious wares:
Judea's olives, balm and grain;
The robes that Syrian maidens stain;
The gleaming ore that Tarshish bears;
Judea's olives, balm and grain;
The robes that Syrian maidens stain;
The gleaming ore that Tarshish bears;
The wool of Kedar's sable tents;
Togarmah's steeds and Javan's swords;
The bars of Ophir's aureate hoards;
The spice of Sheba and the scents.
Togarmah's steeds and Javan's swords;
The bars of Ophir's aureate hoards;
The spice of Sheba and the scents.
The merchants of a hundred isles
Have made you perfect, full of grace;
The earth is dazed before your face,
The sea entangled by your wiles.
Have made you perfect, full of grace;
The earth is dazed before your face,
The sea entangled by your wiles.
“But you shall perish,” saith the Lord;
“Your glories wither like to flowers:—
Behold I bring against your towers
The King of Kings, the orient horde.
“Your glories wither like to flowers:—
Behold I bring against your towers
The King of Kings, the orient horde.
“The king of Babylon shall raise
His mound against your high estate;
His cars shall clash beneath your gate,
His horsemen slay along your ways.
His mound against your high estate;
His cars shall clash beneath your gate,
His horsemen slay along your ways.
“The isles shall tremble at your fall,
Your sailors stand afar and cry,
And fishers spread their nets to dry
Where beetled once your lordly wall.”
Your sailors stand afar and cry,
And fishers spread their nets to dry
Where beetled once your lordly wall.”
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The Burden of Babylon.
A noise of steeds and battle-cars!
The Lord of battles calls his bands;
They come from far and foreign lands,
From kingdoms known to alien stars.
The Lord of battles calls his bands;
They come from far and foreign lands,
From kingdoms known to alien stars.
The mountains echo back the tread
And shout of nations drawing nigh;
A dust of peoples palls the sky,
As though the sun and moon were dead.
And shout of nations drawing nigh;
A dust of peoples palls the sky,
As though the sun and moon were dead.
The wicked perish in their wrong,
The arrogance of nobles pales,
The valiant utter woman wails,
The arrow smiteth through the strong.
The arrogance of nobles pales,
The valiant utter woman wails,
The arrow smiteth through the strong.
And glorious, queenly Babylon,
The beauty of Chaldean pride,
Shall be as when Gomorrah died
By Sodom's side in ages gone.
The beauty of Chaldean pride,
Shall be as when Gomorrah died
By Sodom's side in ages gone.
While God remembereth her sin
No people there may build and breed,
Nor Arab tether there his steed,
Nor shepherd fold his flock within;
No people there may build and breed,
Nor Arab tether there his steed,
Nor shepherd fold his flock within;
But all the desert creatures there
Shall habit; bodeful monsters call;
The vulture flap from hall to hall;
The satyr dance in temples bare.
Shall habit; bodeful monsters call;
The vulture flap from hall to hall;
The satyr dance in temples bare.
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In ruined palaces and towers
Shall wail the daughters of the owl,
And slimy dragons crawl and howl
Where lofty gardens hung their bowers.
Shall wail the daughters of the owl,
And slimy dragons crawl and howl
Where lofty gardens hung their bowers.
Her doom is near. O judgment day!
O day of vengeance, when the Lord
Shall lift the bow of Media's horde
And Marduk fall to long decay!
O day of vengeance, when the Lord
Shall lift the bow of Media's horde
And Marduk fall to long decay!
The Feast of Bel.
The golden king Belshazzar
Was full of joy and boast
Because his walls and warriors
Withstood the Persian host.
“Behold,” he cried, “my people,
Your God hath served you well;
So keep ye fair and debonair
The feast of Marduk Bel.”
Was full of joy and boast
Because his walls and warriors
Withstood the Persian host.
“Behold,” he cried, “my people,
Your God hath served you well;
So keep ye fair and debonair
The feast of Marduk Bel.”
Then all the Chaldees triumphed
With pipe and dance and song;
From golden wine to golden shrine
They reeled in bacchant throng;
The captains o'er the turrets
Were daft with drink and mirth;
The warders 'neath the portals
Lay prone along the earth.
With pipe and dance and song;
From golden wine to golden shrine
They reeled in bacchant throng;
The captains o'er the turrets
Were daft with drink and mirth;
The warders 'neath the portals
Lay prone along the earth.
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Belshazzar also reveled
Within his marble hall;
He gathered there his damozels,
His queen, his sons and all.
A hundred score of nobles
Caroused before his face,
While dancers wheeled and cornets pealed
And incense filled the place.
Within his marble hall;
He gathered there his damozels,
His queen, his sons and all.
A hundred score of nobles
Caroused before his face,
While dancers wheeled and cornets pealed
And incense filled the place.
And when his heart was merry
With song and jest and tale,
And when his magians anthemed
“O Lord Merodach, hail!”
He bade to bring each holy thing
That Zion used of old,
The candlesticks and vessels
Of argent, bronze and gold.
With song and jest and tale,
And when his magians anthemed
“O Lord Merodach, hail!”
He bade to bring each holy thing
That Zion used of old,
The candlesticks and vessels
Of argent, bronze and gold.
He bade to fill the goblets
In honor of the fanes
Where Babel's myriads worshipped
And Judah served in chains.
They brought the sacred beakers,
They brimmed them and they quaffed
While priest and knave and lord and slave
Exalted Bel and laughed.
In honor of the fanes
Where Babel's myriads worshipped
And Judah served in chains.
They brought the sacred beakers,
They brimmed them and they quaffed
While priest and knave and lord and slave
Exalted Bel and laughed.
But even while they jested
The king beheld a hand
Against the stone above his throne
Where ghost alone might stand;—
A hand! no other presence!
An awful hand! alone!
That scored the alabaster
With writing all unknown.
The king beheld a hand
Against the stone above his throne
Where ghost alone might stand;—
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An awful hand! alone!
That scored the alabaster
With writing all unknown.
He saw it bright and blinding,
He saw the fingers gleam;
They traced their mystic message
And vanished like a dream;
But there, distinct, unfading,
Remained the occult words
Above the king's pavilion-rings,
Where none might reach but birds.
He saw the fingers gleam;
They traced their mystic message
And vanished like a dream;
But there, distinct, unfading,
Remained the occult words
Above the king's pavilion-rings,
Where none might reach but birds.
Then changed Belshazzar's visage;
It shook from chin to hair.
His lips were dry and ashen,
His eyes were all a-stare.
And like to him his nobles
Uplifted brows of gloom,
For well they spied those lines abide,
And guessed a coming doom.
It shook from chin to hair.
His lips were dry and ashen,
His eyes were all a-stare.
And like to him his nobles
Uplifted brows of gloom,
For well they spied those lines abide,
And guessed a coming doom.
“Ye priests, ye seers, ye sages!”
The monarch shrieked at last;
“Ye dolts who search the welkins,
Why sit ye there aghast?
Whatever man may open
This secret thing, shall hold
The third high place of royal grace
And wear the chain of gold.”
The monarch shrieked at last;
“Ye dolts who search the welkins,
Why sit ye there aghast?
Whatever man may open
This secret thing, shall hold
The third high place of royal grace
And wear the chain of gold.”
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Yet none divined the writing,
They stared with stifled breath;
And there was such a silence
As chills the caves of death,
Until the queen stood forward
Where crouched the king in fear,
And calmly said, “Be comforted!
The man ye need is here.”
They stared with stifled breath;
And there was such a silence
As chills the caves of death,
Until the queen stood forward
Where crouched the king in fear,
And calmly said, “Be comforted!
The man ye need is here.”
“Hast thou forgotten Daniel,
The seer of ancient fame
Who sate before thy father's door
And sentenced in his name?
His God hath made him cunning
In omen, dream and sign;
So let thy heralds call him
To read the mystic line.”
The seer of ancient fame
Who sate before thy father's door
And sentenced in his name?
His God hath made him cunning
In omen, dream and sign;
So let thy heralds call him
To read the mystic line.”
Thereon the holy prophet
Was brought, and thus the king:
“The gods are with thee, Daniel,
To teach thee everything;
They give thee magian wisdom
To render dreams and seize
The hidden light of second sight
And show the dark decrees.
Was brought, and thus the king:
“The gods are with thee, Daniel,
To teach thee everything;
They give thee magian wisdom
To render dreams and seize
The hidden light of second sight
And show the dark decrees.
“And now behold this message
Which came, I know not whence.
If thou hast power to solve it
And tell its fearful sense,
Then shalt thou wear the scarlet
In Marduk's wide domain
And ride in state from gate to gate
And bear the golden chain.”
Which came, I know not whence.
If thou hast power to solve it
And tell its fearful sense,
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In Marduk's wide domain
And ride in state from gate to gate
And bear the golden chain.”
“O king,” replied the Hebrew,
“To others be thy meed.
Yet will I read the riddle
And show the things decreed.
O king! the king, the mighty king,
Thy father, ruled the earth
Until he turned from Yahveh
Who gave him birth and worth.
“To others be thy meed.
Yet will I read the riddle
And show the things decreed.
O king! the king, the mighty king,
Thy father, ruled the earth
Until he turned from Yahveh
Who gave him birth and worth.
“Then Yahveh veiled his glory,
And drave him forth from men
To herd with humble cattle
And share their food and pen,
Until he knew his error
In lowliness and tears
And worshipped One who rules alone,
Enthroned upon the years.
And drave him forth from men
To herd with humble cattle
And share their food and pen,
Until he knew his error
In lowliness and tears
And worshipped One who rules alone,
Enthroned upon the years.
“But thou hast scoffed at warning
And walked in froward ways;
To Him who gave thee empire
Thou hast not given praise;
And now, behold, thou bringest
The spoils of Zion's shrine
To pour therein for Baals of sin
Thine offerings of wine.
And walked in froward ways;
To Him who gave thee empire
Thou hast not given praise;
And now, behold, thou bringest
The spoils of Zion's shrine
To pour therein for Baals of sin
Thine offerings of wine.
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“Therefore the Lord appointed
This hand to write thy fate;
The words are words of number,
Of measure and of weight.
Thy sceptred years are counted,
Thy merit strikes the beam,
Thy fair domain is torn in twain,
The Persian comes supreme.”
This hand to write thy fate;
The words are words of number,
Of measure and of weight.
Thy sceptred years are counted,
Thy merit strikes the beam,
Thy fair domain is torn in twain,
The Persian comes supreme.”
Then said the king, “O princes,
This Hebrew bodeth ill;
But lo, my word is given,
And kings their word fulfill.
Put on the golden girdle,
Put on the scarlet gown,
Proclaim him third in Babel's herd
And lead him through the town.”
This Hebrew bodeth ill;
But lo, my word is given,
And kings their word fulfill.
Put on the golden girdle,
Put on the scarlet gown,
Proclaim him third in Babel's herd
And lead him through the town.”
Now if he spake in earnest,
Or wrath, or mirthful scorn,
What man could tell who liveth,
Or ever yet was born?
For even while he mumbled
The bacchant words ye know,
He slept the sleep that bibbers keep,
Nor ever babbled moe.
Or wrath, or mirthful scorn,
What man could tell who liveth,
Or ever yet was born?
For even while he mumbled
The bacchant words ye know,
He slept the sleep that bibbers keep,
Nor ever babbled moe.
For El deboshed our tyrants,
The king and all his sons,
The princes, lords and magians,
The chiefs, the mighty ones;
He gave them wine of slumber
That they might drowse and die;
That none might rise, or ope his eyes
Till shouting death were nigh.
The king and all his sons,
The princes, lords and magians,
The chiefs, the mighty ones;
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That they might drowse and die;
That none might rise, or ope his eyes
Till shouting death were nigh.
No warder hears a larum,
No captain lifts his head,
The while a Persian army
Descends the river bed;
And when they wake, their vision
Is dim with trickling gore,
And through the maze of Babel's ways
Dart foemen smiting sore.
No captain lifts his head,
The while a Persian army
Descends the river bed;
And when they wake, their vision
Is dim with trickling gore,
And through the maze of Babel's ways
Dart foemen smiting sore.
Hot herald runs to herald,
Post panteth on to post,
To wake the fated monarch
Who dreams amid his host;
Through many streets their panic fleets,
Through spacious courts they wend
To tell him that his city
Is taken at one end;
Post panteth on to post,
To wake the fated monarch
Who dreams amid his host;
Through many streets their panic fleets,
Through spacious courts they wend
To tell him that his city
Is taken at one end;
To tell him that his warriors
Are palsied with affright,
And all the postern outlets
Are stopped against his flight;
To bid him break from slumber
And rise in lion mood
To crush the foe, or fighting go
To death, as monarchs should.
Are palsied with affright,
And all the postern outlets
Are stopped against his flight;
To bid him break from slumber
And rise in lion mood
To crush the foe, or fighting go
To death, as monarchs should.
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But vainly rode the heralds;
The chasers followed nigh,
And king Belshazzar started
From dreaming but to die.
Great Babylon was hurtled
Like Lucifer to Hell;
Her Nebo bowed in ruin loud
Beside her fallen Bel.
The chasers followed nigh,
And king Belshazzar started
From dreaming but to die.
Great Babylon was hurtled
Like Lucifer to Hell;
Her Nebo bowed in ruin loud
Beside her fallen Bel.
The spoilers were upon her,
They breached her mountain walls,
They brake her brazen portals,
They burned her ivory halls.
In vain her dwellers labored
To quench her funeral pyre;
Her anguish rose in tossing throes
Of all-including fire.
They breached her mountain walls,
They brake her brazen portals,
They burned her ivory halls.
In vain her dwellers labored
To quench her funeral pyre;
Her anguish rose in tossing throes
Of all-including fire.
A scream of woman's terror,
A howl of man's despair,
Fulfilled the golden city
From blazing square to square;
The slain of many peoples
Ensanguined all her ways
And redly dyed her arrowy tide
For woful days and days.
A howl of man's despair,
Fulfilled the golden city
From blazing square to square;
The slain of many peoples
Ensanguined all her ways
And redly dyed her arrowy tide
For woful days and days.
Thus God repaid to Babel
The havoc she had hurled
Against our lovely Zion,
The jewel of His world;
And ever may His fury
Remain upon the spot
Till Babel's might is wrapped in night,
And Babel's name forgot.
The havoc she had hurled
Against our lovely Zion,
The jewel of His world;
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Remain upon the spot
Till Babel's might is wrapped in night,
And Babel's name forgot.
Lucifer.
How hath the strong oppressor ceased
Who smote the lands with tireless stroke!
Yea, he who held the earth in yoke,
The golden city of the East.
Who smote the lands with tireless stroke!
Yea, he who held the earth in yoke,
The golden city of the East.
Hell rose to meet thy coming tread;
It stirred the ghostly ones for thee;
They scoffed, Art thou become as we?
Behold, like us thou liest dead!
It stirred the ghostly ones for thee;
They scoffed, Art thou become as we?
Behold, like us thou liest dead!
Thy pomp is humbled in the dust;
Thy viols hush their cheerful noise;
The worm is underneath thy joys
And overlays thine every lust.
Thy viols hush their cheerful noise;
The worm is underneath thy joys
And overlays thine every lust.
O Lucifer! O son of morn!
How art thou fallen from thy state!
How art thou vanquished, desolate,
Who trode the sons of men in scorn!
How art thou fallen from thy state!
How art thou vanquished, desolate,
Who trode the sons of men in scorn!
For God remembereth thy boast:
Thou saidst, “I will ascend on high,
And build my throne amid the sky
Above Jehovah's starry host.”
Thou saidst, “I will ascend on high,
And build my throne amid the sky
Above Jehovah's starry host.”
193
Thy purpose was to overstride
The cloudy heights of seraphim,
And reign confederate with Him
Whose years eternally abide.
The cloudy heights of seraphim,
And reign confederate with Him
Whose years eternally abide.
But thou art fallen unto night;
And they who look upon thee there
Shall scan thee with a narrow stare,
As doubting if they see aright;
And they who look upon thee there
Shall scan thee with a narrow stare,
As doubting if they see aright;
And say, “Is this the mighty one
Who filled the nations with distress
And made the world a wilderness,
Nor ever let the captive run?”
Who filled the nations with distress
And made the world a wilderness,
Nor ever let the captive run?”
Lo, many kings of many lands
Sleep grandiose in royal tombs,
Nor know amid their tranquil glooms
The cruel scorn of spoiling hands.
Sleep grandiose in royal tombs,
Nor know amid their tranquil glooms
The cruel scorn of spoiling hands.
But thou art cast apart like those
Who lie unburied on the field
Where all their might and valor reeled
To death amid triumphant foes.
Who lie unburied on the field
Where all their might and valor reeled
To death amid triumphant foes.
Appeal.
Oh that Thou mightest rend the skies,
Yea, part the welkin and descend,
While all the mountain summits bend
And melt before Thine awful eyes!
Yea, part the welkin and descend,
While all the mountain summits bend
And melt before Thine awful eyes!
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Behold, we are unclean within,
Our righteous deeds are rags and grime;
And like the leaves of winter time
We drive before the storms of sin.
Our righteous deeds are rags and grime;
And like the leaves of winter time
We drive before the storms of sin.
Yea, none invokes Thy mighty name,
Or riseth up to crave thy grace;
And thou hast turned away thy face,
Or answered with consuming flame.
Or riseth up to crave thy grace;
And thou hast turned away thy face,
Or answered with consuming flame.
Yet Thou art father of us all,
And rulest man with perfect sway;
Thou art the maker, we the clay,
And thou canst bid us stand or fall.
And rulest man with perfect sway;
Thou art the maker, we the clay,
And thou canst bid us stand or fall.
Remember not our deeds of ill,
And be not angry very sore;
Though justice slay us evermore,
Behold, we are Thy children still.
And be not angry very sore;
Though justice slay us evermore,
Behold, we are Thy children still.
Our hallowed city is destroyed,
Our fathers' land a desert land;
Yea, Zion's broken turrets stand
In regions desolate and void.
Our fathers' land a desert land;
Yea, Zion's broken turrets stand
In regions desolate and void.
Our beautiful and holy fane,
Where Judah worshipped thee of old,
We saw its golden cloisters rolled
In flamings, while we wept in vain.
Where Judah worshipped thee of old,
We saw its golden cloisters rolled
In flamings, while we wept in vain.
Wilt Thou forget our many tears?
Wilt Thou forego Thy chastenings?
Return, O Lord, on mercy's wings,
And bring again the gracious years!
Wilt Thou forego Thy chastenings?
Return, O Lord, on mercy's wings,
And bring again the gracious years!
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Hope in Sorrow.
Behold me, the man who hath known
Affliction and scorning;
I wander in darkness alone
And find not the morning.
Affliction and scorning;
I wander in darkness alone
And find not the morning.
The hand of Jehovah is turned
Against me forever;
He heareth me not, he hath spurned
My prayer and endeavor.
Against me forever;
He heareth me not, he hath spurned
My prayer and endeavor.
And yet His compassions are sure
And new every morrow;
Or how should we ever endure
The arrows of sorrow?
And new every morrow;
Or how should we ever endure
The arrows of sorrow?
Oh, well for a man that he grieve
While yet he is youthful;
Yea, well that he calmly believe
In Him who is ruthful.
While yet he is youthful;
Yea, well that he calmly believe
In Him who is ruthful.
He sitteth in silence profound,
Rememb'ring his punishment;
He boweth his mouth to the ground,
Accepting admonishment.
Rememb'ring his punishment;
He boweth his mouth to the ground,
Accepting admonishment.
He giveth his cheek unto him
Who executes sentence;
His spirit is filled to the brim
With trustful repentance.
Who executes sentence;
His spirit is filled to the brim
With trustful repentance.
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For God will redeem us at last,
Though sorely He chasten;
His anger will quickly be past,
His mercies will hasten.
Though sorely He chasten;
His anger will quickly be past,
His mercies will hasten.
He hates not the children of dust,
To cause them to perish;
And though his resentment be just,
He yearneth to cherish.
To cause them to perish;
And though his resentment be just,
He yearneth to cherish.
The Promise.
O elders of a wicked land,
O people born in evil coasts,
I weary, saith the Lord of Hosts,
Of incense waved by sinner's hand.
O people born in evil coasts,
I weary, saith the Lord of Hosts,
Of incense waved by sinner's hand.
I weary of the blood of beasts,
The blackened altars crowned with flame,
The loud hosannas to my name,
The sabbaths, moons and stated feasts.
The blackened altars crowned with flame,
The loud hosannas to my name,
The sabbaths, moons and stated feasts.
Your lifted hands I hold abhorred,
So full are they of blood and snares;
Yea, when ye make your many prayers,
I will not hear them, saith the Lord.
So full are they of blood and snares;
Yea, when ye make your many prayers,
I will not hear them, saith the Lord.
Behold, your land is desolate,
Your cities crumbled, wall and tower;
The stranger sits within your bower
And eats the fruit your fathers ate.
Your cities crumbled, wall and tower;
The stranger sits within your bower
And eats the fruit your fathers ate.
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Go wash you; make you white as snow;
Forsake your refuges of lies;
Deal justly; hear the widow's cries;
Console the orphan in his woe.
Forsake your refuges of lies;
Deal justly; hear the widow's cries;
Console the orphan in his woe.
Repent; tread softly; walk in fears;
Pray meekly in your secret place;
Seek naught beside your Maker's grace;
And seek that carefully with tears.
Pray meekly in your secret place;
Seek naught beside your Maker's grace;
And seek that carefully with tears.
So shall your princes rule anew,
Your counsellors arise from death;
I promise it, Jehovah saith,
And all my promises are true.
Your counsellors arise from death;
I promise it, Jehovah saith,
And all my promises are true.
The Revival.
The Mighty One put forth his hand
And bore me to the vale of bones,
Uncountable as mountain stones
And dry as burning desert sand.
And bore me to the vale of bones,
Uncountable as mountain stones
And dry as burning desert sand.
“O son of man,” he said to me,
“Can these be ever made to rise
Anew in gracious human guise?”—
I answered, “It is known to thee.”
“Can these be ever made to rise
Anew in gracious human guise?”—
I answered, “It is known to thee.”
Then bade He, “Prophesy and say,
Arise, O skeletons, and live;
And I, the Maker, I will give
Again the life I took away.”
Arise, O skeletons, and live;
And I, the Maker, I will give
Again the life I took away.”
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According to His word I cried,
Whereon a shaking filled the vale,
A tremor dry as rattling hail,
While murmurs ran from side to side.
Whereon a shaking filled the vale,
A tremor dry as rattling hail,
While murmurs ran from side to side.
From side to side the murmurs ran,
And lo, the bones together drew,
Together closed, together grew,
Till every heap became a man.
And lo, the bones together drew,
Together closed, together grew,
Till every heap became a man.
Yea, warriors lay in thousands there,
As warriors lie along the field,
The stiffened arm within the shield,
The visage white, the eyes a-stare.
As warriors lie along the field,
The stiffened arm within the shield,
The visage white, the eyes a-stare.
Then said He, “Prophesy again;
Uplift the hand and prophesy;
Command the winds of every sky
To breathe upon these many slain.”
Uplift the hand and prophesy;
Command the winds of every sky
To breathe upon these many slain.”
Thereon I summoned, “Come, O breath!
From all the sides of heaven, come!
Inspire the armies of the dumb!
Arouse the companies of death!”
From all the sides of heaven, come!
Inspire the armies of the dumb!
Arouse the companies of death!”
They stirred; they lifted up the head;
In awful lines of war they stood,
A mighty, living multitude
Who knew not they were ever dead.
In awful lines of war they stood,
A mighty, living multitude
Who knew not they were ever dead.
Then said He: “Thus will I revive
The vanished ones of Israel;
Yea, I will gather them from Hell
And make their very slain alive.”
The vanished ones of Israel;
Yea, I will gather them from Hell
And make their very slain alive.”
199
The Return.
Thus saith the Gracious One: Behold,
I bring again my chosen race
To find the father's dwelling place
And rest within the ancient fold.
I bring again my chosen race
To find the father's dwelling place
And rest within the ancient fold.
I gather them from every land,
The hoary sire, the valiant one,
The mother and her little son,
The lame, the blind, a mingled band.
The hoary sire, the valiant one,
The mother and her little son,
The lame, the blind, a mingled band.
With supplications, moans and tears,
A hallowed, meek array, they come;
And I will lead them to their home
In ways devoid of snares and fears.
A hallowed, meek array, they come;
And I will lead them to their home
In ways devoid of snares and fears.
My holy city shall arise
Upon the remnant of her wall,
And every turret, gate and hall
Exult anew where ruin lies.
Upon the remnant of her wall,
And every turret, gate and hall
Exult anew where ruin lies.
Thanksgiving, praise and holy song
Will echo there; the dulcimer
And tabret set the heart astir;
The dancers wheel in happy throng.
Will echo there; the dulcimer
And tabret set the heart astir;
The dancers wheel in happy throng.
Her multitude will live anew,
Her kings revive the perfect days,
Her temple ring again with praise,
Because my promises are true.
Her kings revive the perfect days,
Her temple ring again with praise,
Because my promises are true.
200
Reëstablishment.
Thus saith the Lord of mercies: Lo,
I bring again the captive host
Of Judah from the heathen coast
To build anew the long-ago.
I bring again the captive host
Of Judah from the heathen coast
To build anew the long-ago.
I wash away their many sins,
I pardon every evil thought,
Although against my law they wrought
And pierced my love with keen chagrins.
I pardon every evil thought,
Although against my law they wrought
And pierced my love with keen chagrins.
The many tribes of earth shall fear
Because I lift my children up,
Because I fill their humble cup
So full of comforting and cheer.
Because I lift my children up,
Because I fill their humble cup
So full of comforting and cheer.
Again, yet once again, this land
Of sunny mountain, fruitful vale,
Refreshed by humid western gale,
Yet barren now as desert sand;
Of sunny mountain, fruitful vale,
Refreshed by humid western gale,
Yet barren now as desert sand;
This ravined land, devoid of life,
Will see the shepherd fold his sheep
And number them in holy sleep,
Secure from bloody sons of strife.
Will see the shepherd fold his sheep
And number them in holy sleep,
Secure from bloody sons of strife.
Again, yet once again, this place,
This Zion, stripped of man and brute,
These dwellings desolate and mute
This temple smitten to its base,
This Zion, stripped of man and brute,
These dwellings desolate and mute
This temple smitten to its base,
Shall hear the bridegroom and the bride
The gladsome noise of dance and game,
The psalm of those who praise my name,
Because my promises abide.
The gladsome noise of dance and game,
The psalm of those who praise my name,
Because my promises abide.
| Poems : medley and Palestina | |