 | Ochil Idylls and Other Poems |  |
117
NEBUCHADNEZZAR THE KING.
“I swore I would conquer the nations—
They truckle to me, they are tame;
The farthest that are bring oblations,
The fiercest acknowledge my name!
They truckle to me, they are tame;
The farthest that are bring oblations,
The fiercest acknowledge my name!
I had strength in my armies to fight with,
And skill in my captains. The skill
And the strength of success I am bright with—
Not theirs; it sprang out of my will.
And skill in my captains. The skill
And the strength of success I am bright with—
Not theirs; it sprang out of my will.
I caught at their strength, and I wielded,
I quicken'd and made it my own;
It lay—till uplifted it yielded
Its might to my grasp—like a stone.
I quicken'd and made it my own;
It lay—till uplifted it yielded
Its might to my grasp—like a stone.
And the skill of my captains was scatter'd
Like beads of bright gold in the sun,
Till my glance like fire-fingers up-gather'd
And fused the lost fragments in one.
Like beads of bright gold in the sun,
Till my glance like fire-fingers up-gather'd
And fused the lost fragments in one.
118
To none of them all do I owe it,
This sceptre I sway with my hands;
His life—I will freely bestow it
On him who would gainsay, that stands!
This sceptre I sway with my hands;
His life—I will freely bestow it
On him who would gainsay, that stands!
There's none that I cannot dispense with
In field, or at council in hall;
Let him stand and deny,—and go hence with
His virtues, and valour, and all.
In field, or at council in hall;
Let him stand and deny,—and go hence with
His virtues, and valour, and all.
Hearken! and I will provoke it,
And guerdon th' insult with a fee
As well as a pardon. I have spoke it—
The mouth that denies shall go free!
And guerdon th' insult with a fee
As well as a pardon. I have spoke it—
The mouth that denies shall go free!
There's none, there is none, can be no one!
The breast does not breathe that can say
Of all my proud triumphs I owe one
To him or his doing to-day.
The breast does not breathe that can say
Of all my proud triumphs I owe one
To him or his doing to-day.
But yet, though it comes not from mortal,
There's energy nerving my hand
That enters my soul by a portal
I neither can close nor command.
There's energy nerving my hand
That enters my soul by a portal
I neither can close nor command.
119
It comes from beyond and above me,
It grasps, it possesses my soul;
It urges, almighty to move me,
It curbs me, all-wise to control.
It grasps, it possesses my soul;
It urges, almighty to move me,
It curbs me, all-wise to control.
Him would I own if I knew Him
Whose fires to a mortal descend;
Him would I worship, and to Him
I and my peoples should bend.”
Whose fires to a mortal descend;
Him would I worship, and to Him
I and my peoples should bend.”
Then, as clouds in the sun that are shifted,
His captains fell back; and a ring
Of priests bowing lowly uplifted
Very boldly their beards to the King.
His captains fell back; and a ring
Of priests bowing lowly uplifted
Very boldly their beards to the King.
“Thou hast spoken, O King! thou hast broken
Our fear,—we no longer are dumb;
To Meródach (thy words be the token!)
Great Nebuchadnezzar is come!”
Our fear,—we no longer are dumb;
To Meródach (thy words be the token!)
Great Nebuchadnezzar is come!”
“Not so. To Meródach I go not:
Your Nebos and Bels I condemn!
I have honour'd the God whom I know not
Except when I bow'd me to them.
Your Nebos and Bels I condemn!
I have honour'd the God whom I know not
Except when I bow'd me to them.
120
And I honour'd Him then, when I gave them,
Base sinking to them on my knees,
The virtues they had not to save them;
I worshipped Him, worshipping these.
Base sinking to them on my knees,
The virtues they had not to save them;
I worshipped Him, worshipping these.
To Him, the Unknown, if I knew Him,
Your incense and song should ascend;
Him find ye quickly, and to Him
I and my peoples shall bend!”
Your incense and song should ascend;
Him find ye quickly, and to Him
I and my peoples shall bend!”
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