 | A Song of Heroes |  |
13
DAVID.
I will sing the son of Jesse,
Whom the prophet's voice did call,
Not by haughty-hearted bearing,
Lofty looks, and stature tall;
Whom the prophet's voice did call,
Not by haughty-hearted bearing,
Lofty looks, and stature tall;
But by eyes of arrowy brightness,
And by locks of golden hue,
And by limbs of agile lightness,
Fair and comely to the view;
And by locks of golden hue,
And by limbs of agile lightness,
Fair and comely to the view;
And by earnest, wise demeanour,
And by heart that knew no fear,
And a quick-discerning spirit
When a danger might be near.
And by heart that knew no fear,
And a quick-discerning spirit
When a danger might be near.
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Him from watching of the sheepfold,
And from tending of the ewes,
To be ruler of the people,
Samuel's prophet-eye did choose.
And from tending of the ewes,
To be ruler of the people,
Samuel's prophet-eye did choose.
From the softly-swelling pasture,
Grassy mead, and rocky scars;
From lone converse with the mild-faced
Moon and silent-marching stars;
Grassy mead, and rocky scars;
From lone converse with the mild-faced
Moon and silent-marching stars;
From the lion and the she-bear,
When they leapt the wattled pen,
To a fight with worse than lions,
Tiger-hearted, bloody men.
When they leapt the wattled pen,
To a fight with worse than lions,
Tiger-hearted, bloody men.
To the struggle for a kingdom,
To confusion of his foes,
To the splendid cares of reigning,
Him the God-sent prophet chose;
To confusion of his foes,
To the splendid cares of reigning,
Him the God-sent prophet chose;
Chose, nor waited long. A kingship
Reigned in bosom of the boy,
And his hand with kingly instinct
Leapt to find a king's employ.
Reigned in bosom of the boy,
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Leapt to find a king's employ.
And he found it when the giant
Philistine of haughty Gath,
With a boastful, proud defiance,
Mailed in insolence, crossed his path.
Philistine of haughty Gath,
With a boastful, proud defiance,
Mailed in insolence, crossed his path.
Quailed the armies of the people,
Quailed King Saul upon his throne,
Quailed the marshalled heads of battle;
Strength in David lived alone.
Quailed King Saul upon his throne,
Quailed the marshalled heads of battle;
Strength in David lived alone.
And he took nor spear nor harness,
But with calm composèd look,
In his hand he took a sling,
And five smooth pebbles from the brook;
But with calm composèd look,
In his hand he took a sling,
And five smooth pebbles from the brook;
And he prayed the God of battles,
And in 'mid the host alone
Prostrate laid the boastful champion
With a sling and with a stone.
And in 'mid the host alone
Prostrate laid the boastful champion
With a sling and with a stone.
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Now his road was paved to greatness:
On the right hand of the throne
High he sate; but mighty monarchs
Love to reign and rule alone.
On the right hand of the throne
High he sate; but mighty monarchs
Love to reign and rule alone.
Saul pursued the people's darling
With keen hatred's heavy stress,
From rock to rock, from cave to cave,
Of the houseless wilderness,
With keen hatred's heavy stress,
From rock to rock, from cave to cave,
Of the houseless wilderness,
Like a hunted thing. He wandered,
From all bonds of fealty free,
Till the hour to honour David
Came in God's foreknown decree.
From all bonds of fealty free,
Till the hour to honour David
Came in God's foreknown decree.
Judah claimed him; Israel followed
Judah's trumpet-note; and all,
From Hermon's mount to well of Sheba,
Streamed to royal David's call.
Judah's trumpet-note; and all,
From Hermon's mount to well of Sheba,
Streamed to royal David's call.
And he stormed the hill of Zion,
Where the rock-perched Jebusite
From his stiff ancestral fastness
Vainly strove to prove his might.
Where the rock-perched Jebusite
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Vainly strove to prove his might.
And he smote the men of Moab,
And the fierce Philistian crew,
And o'er the ruddy cliffs of Edom
Passed, and proudly cast his shoe.
And the fierce Philistian crew,
And o'er the ruddy cliffs of Edom
Passed, and proudly cast his shoe.
From Damascus' gardened beauty
Home he brought the golden spoil,
And Phœnician Hiram sent him
Greeting from his sea-girt isle.
Home he brought the golden spoil,
And Phœnician Hiram sent him
Greeting from his sea-girt isle.
And he brought the ark that shrined
The God-hewn tables of the Law,
Safely on the rock of Zion
To be kept with reverent awe;
The God-hewn tables of the Law,
Safely on the rock of Zion
To be kept with reverent awe;
Brought it with a pomp of people,
With a sounding march of glee,
Harp and hymn, and shouts of holy
Triumph, billowing like the sea!
With a sounding march of glee,
Harp and hymn, and shouts of holy
Triumph, billowing like the sea!
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Not in mail of forceful warrior,
Not with spear, and not with sword,
With a linen ephod girded,
Danced the king before the Lord;
Not with spear, and not with sword,
With a linen ephod girded,
Danced the king before the Lord;
Danced with lusty beat, not recking,
In the stoutness of his cheer,
How solemn fools and dainty maids
Might curve their lofty lips and jeer.
In the stoutness of his cheer,
How solemn fools and dainty maids
Might curve their lofty lips and jeer.
What remained?—Jehovah honoured,
From all foes a proud release,
What remained to top his fulness?
David now might die in peace.
From all foes a proud release,
What remained to top his fulness?
David now might die in peace.
Only one fair hope was stinted,
To the God of David's line
On the summit of Moriah
High to pile a costly shrine!
To the God of David's line
On the summit of Moriah
High to pile a costly shrine!
Not all things to all are granted;
To his son, the wisest man,
David left with templed state
To crown his life's high-reaching plan,
To his son, the wisest man,
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To crown his life's high-reaching plan,
Then died. No kinglier king was ever
Seated on a kingly seat,
Shepherd, soldier, minstrel, monarch,
In all sorts a man complete.
Seated on a kingly seat,
Shepherd, soldier, minstrel, monarch,
In all sorts a man complete.
| A Song of Heroes | |