 | Elisha : Or The Woman of Shunem |  |
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1. PART I.
Husband, Woman of Shunem, Female Friend, and Chorus of Neighbours.RECITATIVE.
Jehovah! thou our souls inspire,
And warm with thy celestial fire!
Our tongues inform, our accents raise,
To sing thy goodness and thy praise.
CHORUS.
Jehovah! thou our souls inspire, &c.
AIR. Female Friend.
How blest are they whose pious hearts
Deserve the good which Heaven imparts;
Who, due as dawns each rising day,
Their song of grateful tribute pay!
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Which grant the pleasing pow'r,
To soothe the weary stranger's pain
And gild his ev'ning hour.
RECITATIVE.
Woman.
And when, my husband, hath the needy stranger
Uncherish'd past our gate?
Husband.
O never, never!
Why do we more possess than Nature craves,
But to relieve affliction? and thy heart,
Benevolently soft, is ever prone
To sympathize with sorrow, then most happy
When dealing bliss to others.
AIR.Why do we more possess than Nature craves,
But to relieve affliction? and thy heart,
Benevolently soft, is ever prone
To sympathize with sorrow, then most happy
When dealing bliss to others.
Here Nature strews with lib'ral hand
Her blessings o'er a fertile land;
And gives a lesson, as she pours
Among her sons her copious stores;
For man most graceful then appears,
Most worthy the fair form he bears,
When (proxy of all bounteous Heav'n)
He free bestows what free was given.
CHORUS.
Her blessings o'er a fertile land;
And gives a lesson, as she pours
Among her sons her copious stores;
For man most graceful then appears,
Most worthy the fair form he bears,
When (proxy of all bounteous Heav'n)
He free bestows what free was given.
Raise the theme, the chorus raise,
In songs of gratitude and praise,
To him who strews with lib'ral hand,
His blessings o'er a fertile land.
In songs of gratitude and praise,
To him who strews with lib'ral hand,
His blessings o'er a fertile land.
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Where is our holy guest, the man of God?
Hath he walk'd forth this morn? Doth the soft vale,
And sweetly trilling brook, allure his steps?
Or doth he, on the mountain-summit, wake
His heav'nly harp, and hymn the Lord of light?
Hath he walk'd forth this morn? Doth the soft vale,
And sweetly trilling brook, allure his steps?
Or doth he, on the mountain-summit, wake
His heav'nly harp, and hymn the Lord of light?
Woman.
Within his humble chamber, (ah! too humble
For so divine a resident) he sits
In silent meditation.—But I grieve
To hear this day he leaves us. Holy cares,
And high important rites on Carmel's brow,
Demand his speedy presence
Husband.
Lo! where comes
His servant, good Gehazi!
GEHAZI.
Advancing.
Hail, blest pair!
Thus, in my voice, the great Elisha greets you,
And thus declares.—For that he oft hath dwelt
Beneath your hospitable roof, and shar'd
The social meal; he wishes to reward
The care and kindness of your friendly hearts.
Woman.
We are his debtors still; he never graces
Our lowly dwelling with his rev'rend form,
But heav'nly blessings follow.—Hath he not
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My child, my blooming boy! his pray'rs obtain'd
That precious treasure from indulgent Heav'n.
Gehazi.
Possessing boundless power with Israel's King
And his embattl'd hosts, once more he asks,
Shall he commend your virtues to the throne,
Or to the leader of the martial train?
AIR.
Declare, man of Shunem, do martial alarms
Inflame thee with thirst of renown?
Forth, forth, to the field, be tremendous in arms,
Bright honour thy ardor shall crown;
Or thou, his lov'd consort, if splendor and state
Have kindled their fire in thy breast,
Thy dwelling shall be in the paths of the great,
And purple and gold be thy vest.
Inflame thee with thirst of renown?
Forth, forth, to the field, be tremendous in arms,
Bright honour thy ardor shall crown;
Or thou, his lov'd consort, if splendor and state
Have kindled their fire in thy breast,
Thy dwelling shall be in the paths of the great,
And purple and gold be thy vest.
RECITATIVE.
Husband.
Let not thine earnest eye appeal to me,
The rectitude of thy unerring heart
Needs no advisers aid! my wife, reply.
RECITATIVE. Accompanied.
Woman.
Deal splendid gifts, where deeds of fame
Or high descent such honors claim.
The gorgeous robe and spacious dome,
Our humble rank would ill become.
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Enjoyments suited to our sphere,
To us this mild embow'ring grove
Is dearer than the proud alcove;
Yon' flow'ry lawn more rich we deem
Than vestments bright with studded gem.
AIR.
Among mine own content I dwell—
Possessing, in the lowly cell,
Friends, whose social smiles I prove,
So good, so kind a husband's love,
And mother of so sweet a boy,
No wish intrudes for other joy;
Among mine own content I dwell.
Possessing, in the lowly cell,
Friends, whose social smiles I prove,
So good, so kind a husband's love,
And mother of so sweet a boy,
No wish intrudes for other joy;
Among mine own content I dwell.
RECITATIVE.
Gehazi.
O nobly answer'd! and the Prophet's heart
Will glow with pleasure at the wise resolve.
Farewell! his blessing rest on thee and thine!
Husband.
Our duteous thanks are his.—Say we intreat
He will not scant his bounteous visitation
To this our homely dwelling, which his age,
And sanctity hath grac'd.
Gehazi.
This moderation,
This noble self-denial, makes your virtues
Shine out with added lustre, and bestows
Delight unknown to grandeur's lofty sons.
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Blest whom wisdom's voice inspires
To place a bound to their desires!
Whom no temptation lures astray,
To trace ambition's dang'rous way,
But safely sit and cheerful sing
Beneath contentment's shelt'ring wing!
SEMI-CHORUS.
Blest, whom Wisdom's voice, &c.
To place a bound to their desires!
Whom no temptation lures astray,
To trace ambition's dang'rous way,
But safely sit and cheerful sing
Beneath contentment's shelt'ring wing!
SEMI-CHORUS.
Blest, whom Wisdom's voice, &c.
Gehazi having left them, the Son advances.
RECITATIVE.
Woman.
Behold our blooming hope! with eager look,
And hasty step he comes!
Husband.
What would my boy?
Son.
My dearest father, see how bright the sky,
How glorious shines the sun! may I not go,
And share the pleasure of this happy day,
The last of harvest labour?
AIR.
Hark, the peasants how they sing,
As around the sheaves they throng!
While merry birds, with flutt'ring wing,
Hover round and join the song.
As around the sheaves they throng!
While merry birds, with flutt'ring wing,
Hover round and join the song.
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Let me to the fields repair,
Let me thro' the meadows roam,
See the various hues they wear,
And join the jovial harvest-home!
Let me thro' the meadows roam,
See the various hues they wear,
And join the jovial harvest-home!
Let me, let me, &c.
Let me their employ partake,
Let me aid the gleaner's toil,
The scatter'd ear I'll careful seek,
And make the needy stranger smile.
Let me aid the gleaner's toil,
The scatter'd ear I'll careful seek,
And make the needy stranger smile.
Let me, let me, &c.
RECITATIVE.
Husband.
Not now, my boy, repress thine ardent wish;
It grieves me to deny thee, but the sun
Glows with extremest heat this day—each hour
His beams grow more intense.
Woman.
Nay let him go,
Forgive, my dearest husband; wer't not pity
To check the pious instinct of his mind,
His early love of charity? I trust
He will receive no harm.
AIR.
Oh! let him his creator know
In the rich wonders of the fields,
Behold the beauties as they blow,
Behold the treasure autumn yields!
With such ideas be his mind endow'd!
Oh! let him soon acquaint himself with God!
In the rich wonders of the fields,
Behold the beauties as they blow,
Behold the treasure autumn yields!
With such ideas be his mind endow'd!
Oh! let him soon acquaint himself with God!
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Husband.
My wife, dost thou
Aid his request? when two such suitors join,
Can I again deny? and yet I fear.
Woman.
I too have fears, but with a mother's fears
I have a mother's weakness—O! behold him!
FULL CHORUS.
Let him to the fields repair,
Let him thro' the meadows roam,
See the various hues they wear,
And join the jovial harvest home.
END OF PART I.
| Elisha : Or The Woman of Shunem | |