 | Scenes from Scripture with Other Poems |  |
49
BELSHAZZAR.
“Belshazzar, the King, made a great feast to a thousand of his Lords, and
drank wine before the thousand.
“Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the House
of God, which was in Jerusalem.
“They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass and of iron, of wood and of stone.
“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over
against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the King's palace.
And the King saw the part of the hand that wrote.”—5.
“In that night was Belshazzar, the King of the Chaldeans, slain; and
Darius, the Median, took the kingdom.”—
Daniel v, 30.
On the rushing, mighty River,
On the wide, night-covered plain,
Sounds the rattling of the quiver,
Sounds the trump—then dies again.
There, in numbers without number,
Persia's hordes are pouring on.
Thou hast slept thy final slumber,
God-defying Babylon!
On the wide, night-covered plain,
Sounds the rattling of the quiver,
Sounds the trump—then dies again.
50
Persia's hordes are pouring on.
Thou hast slept thy final slumber,
God-defying Babylon!
On the city's thousand towers
Blaze a thousand festal fires!
Squandering his hour of hours,
Guilty son of guilty sires,
There Belshazzar, with his lords,
To the timbrel's silvery chime,
Shoutings wild, and clash of swords,
Holds high feast to Baalim.
Blaze a thousand festal fires!
Squandering his hour of hours,
Guilty son of guilty sires,
There Belshazzar, with his lords,
To the timbrel's silvery chime,
Shoutings wild, and clash of swords,
Holds high feast to Baalim.
Tyrant, thou art in thy glory,
Asia's treasures round thee blaze,
Princes proud, and sages hoary,
Like a god upon thee gaze;
Harmonies around thee winging;
Beauty in her brightest bloom
To thy golden footstool clinging.
Yet, that throne shall be thy tomb!
Asia's treasures round thee blaze,
Princes proud, and sages hoary,
Like a god upon thee gaze;
Harmonies around thee winging;
Beauty in her brightest bloom
To thy golden footstool clinging.
Yet, that throne shall be thy tomb!
51
Hark! what sudden burst of thunder
Shakes the hall, and heaves the ground!
All are hushed in fear and wonder;
There is judgment in the sound!
Conscience-struck, the crowned blasphemer,
Wild and wilder quaffs the wine:
“Shall I turn a coward dreamer,
When the living world is mine!
Shakes the hall, and heaves the ground!
All are hushed in fear and wonder;
There is judgment in the sound!
Conscience-struck, the crowned blasphemer,
Wild and wilder quaffs the wine:
“Shall I turn a coward dreamer,
When the living world is mine!
“Bring the golden cups!” he cries,
“Purchased by my father's sword.
“High to Baal fill the prize,
“Spite of Israel and his Lord!”
Still, with mortal anguish saddening,
Pledged he round his nobles all.
Ha! but are his senses maddening?
Clouds have filled the mighty hall!
“Purchased by my father's sword.
“High to Baal fill the prize,
“Spite of Israel and his Lord!”
Still, with mortal anguish saddening,
Pledged he round his nobles all.
Ha! but are his senses maddening?
Clouds have filled the mighty hall!
Tyrant! now is run thy sand!
Tyrant! now is wove thy shroud!
Sees he now a giant hand,
Darting from a fiery cloud;
Through the midnight, murky air,
Flashing ghastly on the throne,
Like a comet's blasting glare,
Mene, Tekel, Perez, shone.
Tyrant! now is wove thy shroud!
Sees he now a giant hand,
Darting from a fiery cloud;
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Flashing ghastly on the throne,
Like a comet's blasting glare,
Mene, Tekel, Perez, shone.
Now is heard his cry of terror:
“Bring the Priest, and bring the Seer!”
Crowding came, with magic mirror,
Cyphered scroll, and mystic sphere,
All the sons of Sorcery!
With the Idol in their van;
Dark Egyptian, wild Chaldee,
Rushing on with shout and ban.
“Bring the Priest, and bring the Seer!”
Crowding came, with magic mirror,
Cyphered scroll, and mystic sphere,
All the sons of Sorcery!
With the Idol in their van;
Dark Egyptian, wild Chaldee,
Rushing on with shout and ban.
Now the human victims lie,
Embers in the altar's blaze;
Now, the priests of blasphemy,
Whirling, dance in mystic maze.
Vain the dance, the blood, the spell!
Still, upon the burning stone
Glares the fearful oracle,
Still untold, unread, unknown!
Embers in the altar's blaze;
Now, the priests of blasphemy,
Whirling, dance in mystic maze.
Vain the dance, the blood, the spell!
Still, upon the burning stone
Glares the fearful oracle,
Still untold, unread, unknown!
53
“Let the foul impostors die!”
Swells the roar from Prince and slave.
But, before their startled eye,
Like a vision from the grave,
Comes the man of Israel.
Still the fetters round him cling,
Yet his words, like arrows fell—
Woe to people, woe to King!
Swells the roar from Prince and slave.
But, before their startled eye,
Like a vision from the grave,
Comes the man of Israel.
Still the fetters round him cling,
Yet his words, like arrows fell—
Woe to people, woe to King!
“Number, number, weight, and measure!
“Thou art numbered, weighed, undone.
“Life and empire, blood and treasure,
“All are lost, and all are won.”
Instant on the dazzling wall
Stooped the cloud's supernal gloom,
Instant on the mighty hall
Sat the darkness of the tomb!
“Thou art numbered, weighed, undone.
“Life and empire, blood and treasure,
“All are lost, and all are won.”
Instant on the dazzling wall
Stooped the cloud's supernal gloom,
Instant on the mighty hall
Sat the darkness of the tomb!
Then the thunder pealed again,
But came, mingled with its roar,
Clang of cymbals, shouts of men.
From Euphrates' hollow shore
Comes the rushing charioteer;
Showers the torch on shrine and throne.
Dark Belshazzar, lie thou there!
Persia tramples Babylon!
But came, mingled with its roar,
Clang of cymbals, shouts of men.
From Euphrates' hollow shore
54
Showers the torch on shrine and throne.
Dark Belshazzar, lie thou there!
Persia tramples Babylon!
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