Israel in Egypt A Poem. By Edwin Atherstone |
 |
|
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 12. |
| 13. |
| 14. |
| 15. |
| 16. |
| 17. |
| 18. |
| 19. |
| 20. |
| 21. |
| 22. |
| 23. |
| 24. |
| 25. |
| 26. |
| 27. |
 | Israel in Egypt |  |
Uttering the word, his arm uplifted he,
And from his hand the furnace ashes loosed,
And sprinkled them toward heaven.
And from his hand the furnace ashes loosed,
And sprinkled them toward heaven.
Tumult was hushed;
All hearts beat quickly; every straining eye
Intently watched; expecting, as before,
In the blood-plague, some ghastly spectacle,
On the instant to appear: but, when they saw
That, from the hand, ashes alone were cast,
Which a small dust became, and melted off
Like a thin smoke,—then quickly rose again
Their fury,—and, with threats, sharp mockery too,
And scornful laughter. Full before the king,
Thamusin, the chief priest, with face inflamed,
And tongue for madness stuttering, hurried on;
And, both hands lifting, franticly cried out,
“O Pharaoh, free thy kingdom, and the earth,
From these detestable. Speak but the word,
And quickly they, too, shall as dust pass off,
Like that they juggle with. One only word
Speak, Pharaoh, we implore thee. Strength enough
Here is to rend them into very threads:
Cords, trees, stones, water,—death in any shape,
To end them on the instant.”
All hearts beat quickly; every straining eye
Intently watched; expecting, as before,
In the blood-plague, some ghastly spectacle,
On the instant to appear: but, when they saw
That, from the hand, ashes alone were cast,
Which a small dust became, and melted off
Like a thin smoke,—then quickly rose again
Their fury,—and, with threats, sharp mockery too,
286
Thamusin, the chief priest, with face inflamed,
And tongue for madness stuttering, hurried on;
And, both hands lifting, franticly cried out,
“O Pharaoh, free thy kingdom, and the earth,
From these detestable. Speak but the word,
And quickly they, too, shall as dust pass off,
Like that they juggle with. One only word
Speak, Pharaoh, we implore thee. Strength enough
Here is to rend them into very threads:
Cords, trees, stones, water,—death in any shape,
To end them on the instant.”
While he spake,
His face, wrath-burning, with yet other fire
Rapidly kindled; and his trembling hands,
As if flame-touched, 'gan sting him. Suddenly mute,
He stared upon them. Swoln were they, and red,
And with strange blisters gleaming. His hot brow
Then touched he; and, beneath his tingling palm,
Felt the boils rising. Terrified he stood,
Stupidly staring round: and lo! the king,
Even like himself he saw, fire-faced, and swollen,
And in great horror staring. Every man
On whom he looked, stood staring on the rest;
Red-visaged, bloated, terrified. No voice
Cried unto Pharaoh now, for punishment
Upon the Hebrews: each man his own pangs,
And wrath, in silence smothered. With stern eye,
The sons of Amram gazed around on all:
But the magicians turned away, ashamed:
By reason of the boils, they could not stand
Before the face of Moses: nor the king,
For shame, dared look upon him.
His face, wrath-burning, with yet other fire
Rapidly kindled; and his trembling hands,
As if flame-touched, 'gan sting him. Suddenly mute,
He stared upon them. Swoln were they, and red,
And with strange blisters gleaming. His hot brow
Then touched he; and, beneath his tingling palm,
Felt the boils rising. Terrified he stood,
Stupidly staring round: and lo! the king,
Even like himself he saw, fire-faced, and swollen,
And in great horror staring. Every man
On whom he looked, stood staring on the rest;
Red-visaged, bloated, terrified. No voice
Cried unto Pharaoh now, for punishment
Upon the Hebrews: each man his own pangs,
And wrath, in silence smothered. With stern eye,
The sons of Amram gazed around on all:
But the magicians turned away, ashamed:
By reason of the boils, they could not stand
Before the face of Moses: nor the king,
For shame, dared look upon him.
Brief time thus,
Inwardly cursing; though no word he spake;
Stood Pharaoh,—then turned quickly; and, forthwith,
Back toward his palace walked; still, as he went,
Angrily moaning. All his rulers, too,
Priests, princes, sorcerers, moaned: and whomsoe'er
They passed upon the way,—with head depressed,
They saw, and flaming face, and dark-red hands,
Which, as fire-scorched, for coolness still they waved,
Moaning, and hurrying on. And when, at last,
Unto the palace came they, all the house
Resounded with deep moaning.
Inwardly cursing; though no word he spake;
Stood Pharaoh,—then turned quickly; and, forthwith,
Back toward his palace walked; still, as he went,
Angrily moaning. All his rulers, too,
Priests, princes, sorcerers, moaned: and whomsoe'er
They passed upon the way,—with head depressed,
287
Which, as fire-scorched, for coolness still they waved,
Moaning, and hurrying on. And when, at last,
Unto the palace came they, all the house
Resounded with deep moaning.
Through the land,
Save in the dwellings of the Israelites,
And in the peaceful Goshen, thus it was
With all the people: and their cattle, too,
With boils were struck; so that, of men, and beasts,
That day, and through the night, were thousands slain.
Save in the dwellings of the Israelites,
And in the peaceful Goshen, thus it was
With all the people: and their cattle, too,
With boils were struck; so that, of men, and beasts,
That day, and through the night, were thousands slain.
| Israel in Egypt | |