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The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore

Collected by Himself. In Ten Volumes
  

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AWAKE, ARISE, THY LIGHT IS COME.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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292

AWAKE, ARISE, THY LIGHT IS COME.

[_]

(Air.—Stevenson.)

Awake, arise, thy light is come ;
The nations, that before outshone thee,
Now at thy feet lie dark and dumb—
The glory of the Lord is on thee!
Arise—the Gentiles to thy ray,
From ev'ry nook of earth shall cluster;
And kings and princes haste to pay
Their homage to thy rising lustre.
Lift up thine eyes around, and see,
O'er foreign fields, o'er farthest waters,
Thy exiled sons return to thee,
To thee return thy home-sick daughters.

293

And camels rich, from Midian's tents,
Shall lay their treasures down before thee;
And Saba bring her gold and scents,
To fill thy air, and sparkle o'er thee.
See, who are these that, like a cloud ,
Are gathering from all earth's dominions,
Like doves, long absent, when allow'd
Homeward to shoot their trembling pinions.
Surely the isles shall wait for me ,
The ships of Tarshish round will hover,
To bring thy sons across the sea,
And waft their gold and silver over.

294

And Lebanon thy pomp shall grace —
The fir, the pine, the palm victorious
Shall beautify our Holy Place,
And make the ground I tread on glorious.
No more shall Discord haunt thy ways
Nor ruin waste thy cheerless nation;
But thou shalt call thy portals, Praise,
And thou shalt name thy walls, Salvation.
The sun no more shall make thee bright ,
Nor moon shall lend her lustre to thee;
But God, Himself, shall be thy Light,
And flash eternal glory through thee.

295

Thy sun shall never more go down;
A ray, from heav'n itself descended,
Shall light thy everlasting crown—
Thy days of mourning all are ended.
My own, elect, and righteous Land!
The Branch, for ever green and vernal,
Which I have planted with this hand—
Live thou shalt in Life Eternal.
 

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” —Isaiah, lx.

“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” —Ib.

“Lift up thine eyes round about and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.” —Isaiah, lx.

“The multitude of camels shall cover thee; the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense.” —Ib.

“Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” —Ib.

“Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them.” —Ib.

“The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee; the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious.” —Isaiah, lx.

“Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls, Salvation, and thy gates, Praise.” —Ib.

“Thy sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.” —Ib.

“Thy sun shall no more go down; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” —Isaiah, lx.

“Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands.” —Ib.