 | Poems : medley and Palestina |  |
137
THE BARD
139
The Gracious.
O Name all names excelling!
Jehovah! secret name!
Thou hast Thy wondrous dwelling
Above the midday flame.
Jehovah! secret name!
Thou hast Thy wondrous dwelling
Above the midday flame.
When I behold Thy wonders,
The marvels of Thy hands,
The temple of Thy thunders,
The moon and starry bands,
The marvels of Thy hands,
The temple of Thy thunders,
The moon and starry bands,
Lo, what is man, the human,
That Thou dost grant him grace?
Yea, man the son of woman,
That Thou dost turn Thy face?
That Thou dost grant him grace?
Yea, man the son of woman,
That Thou dost turn Thy face?
Yet Thou hast made him master
Of air and earth and sea,
And crowned his head with lustre,
Viceregal under Thee.
Of air and earth and sea,
And crowned his head with lustre,
Viceregal under Thee.
In honor and in station
Scarce less than seraphim,
He ruleth Thy creation
Because Thou lovest him.
Scarce less than seraphim,
He ruleth Thy creation
Because Thou lovest him.
O God all gods excelling,
How vast Thy mercies are!
Thy power is past all telling,
Thy grace is greater far.
How vast Thy mercies are!
Thy power is past all telling,
Thy grace is greater far.
140
The Deliverer.
How long wilt Thou forget me,
My Lord? Forever?
How long shall woes beset me,
And spare me never?
My Lord? Forever?
How long shall woes beset me,
And spare me never?
Alas, Thy face is hidden,
O King immortal!
I stand and knock, forbidden
To pass Thy portal.
O King immortal!
I stand and knock, forbidden
To pass Thy portal.
My soul is clothed in sadness;
I perish daily;
My foes are crowned with gladness,
And jeer me gaily.
I perish daily;
My foes are crowned with gladness,
And jeer me gaily.
Behold, my footsteps totter
Without foundation;
I walk like one on water,
Nor find salvation.
Without foundation;
I walk like one on water,
Nor find salvation.
Consider now and hear me,
O Mighty! Cherish
My fainting life, and cheer me,
Lest I should perish.
O Mighty! Cherish
My fainting life, and cheer me,
Lest I should perish.
O gracious one, my Savior,
I will not quiver,
Nor swerve, nor change behavior,
But serve Thee ever.
I will not quiver,
Nor swerve, nor change behavior,
But serve Thee ever.
141
The Protector.
God bring thee out of harm,
And God be Thy defender!
God show thee that His arm
Is strong and also tender!
And God be Thy defender!
God show thee that His arm
Is strong and also tender!
He sees thine altar fire,
Thy gift, thine offered treasure,
And grants thee thy desire.
Fulfilled beyond thy measure.
Thy gift, thine offered treasure,
And grants thee thy desire.
Fulfilled beyond thy measure.
Rejoice, O friends, in Him
Who breaks the bands of sadness;
Let all your banners swim
Above your mounts of gladness.
Who breaks the bands of sadness;
Let all your banners swim
Above your mounts of gladness.
I know that God alone
Can rescue them that perish;
He bendeth from His throne
To seek, to save, to cherish.
Can rescue them that perish;
He bendeth from His throne
To seek, to save, to cherish.
Trust not in spear and glaive,
Nor courser shod with terror,
For steeds are vain to save,
And battles reel in error.
Nor courser shod with terror,
For steeds are vain to save,
And battles reel in error.
Our savior is the Lord
Who rides upon the thunder;
And when He lifts his sword
The nations fall asunder.
Who rides upon the thunder;
And when He lifts his sword
The nations fall asunder.
142
The Avenger.
Make haste, my King, to deliver;
Make haste to aid me, my Lord;
Confound and scatter and shiver
All those who hold me abhorred;
Make haste to aid me, my Lord;
Confound and scatter and shiver
All those who hold me abhorred;
All those who weary my soul,
Who chase me with bow and quiver;
Confound their evil endeavor
And bring them to dole.
Who chase me with bow and quiver;
Confound their evil endeavor
And bring them to dole.
Yea, those who grin and who chatter,
Who follow with scoffing and leer,
Disperse them, O Helper, and scatter,
Confound and fill them with fear!
Who follow with scoffing and leer,
Disperse them, O Helper, and scatter,
Confound and fill them with fear!
But those who seek Thee in sadness,
Who wait for thy coming, in grief,
Make haste, O Giver of gladness,
To grant them relief.
Who wait for thy coming, in grief,
Make haste, O Giver of gladness,
To grant them relief.
Be swift to aid me, my Lord;
Be swift, O Strong, to deliver;
I hold, I cling, to thy word,
And trust Thee forever.
Be swift, O Strong, to deliver;
I hold, I cling, to thy word,
And trust Thee forever.
The Splendor of Jehovah.
Jehovah! reigns!
O earth, bloom forth in smiles;
Be glad, ye rivers, hills and plains;
Rejoice, O multitude of isles!
He reigns alone,
Around Him folding clouds and night;
The dwelling-places of His throne
Are justice and eternal right.
O earth, bloom forth in smiles;
Be glad, ye rivers, hills and plains;
Rejoice, O multitude of isles!
143
Around Him folding clouds and night;
The dwelling-places of His throne
Are justice and eternal right.
Before Him runs a fire
That burneth up his foes;
His lightning through creation goes,
And earth recoils before his ire;
Yea, hills and mountains melt apace
Beneath the splendor of His face.
That burneth up his foes;
His lightning through creation goes,
And earth recoils before his ire;
Yea, hills and mountains melt apace
Beneath the splendor of His face.
The heavens declare His holiness;
The nations see His glory shine;
The heathen bow in humbleness;
The gods of every alien shrine
Acknowledge Him divine.
The nations see His glory shine;
The heathen bow in humbleness;
The gods of every alien shrine
Acknowledge Him divine.
Jerusalem makes mirth;
Her daughters sing in sweet accord
Because Thou comest, Lord,
To judge the earth.
For high above the world art Thou,
Yea, high above the skies
And greater than the graven lies
Whereto the heathen bow.
Her daughters sing in sweet accord
Because Thou comest, Lord,
To judge the earth.
For high above the world art Thou,
Yea, high above the skies
And greater than the graven lies
Whereto the heathen bow.
O ye who love His name,
I pray you hate all sinfulness;
So shall He guard when foemen press,
And save your souls from flame.
The righteous walk in fields of light,
In pastures lit by dazzling suns;
Yea, wondrous beams of glory smite
The ways of upright ones.
I pray you hate all sinfulness;
So shall He guard when foemen press,
And save your souls from flame.
144
In pastures lit by dazzling suns;
Yea, wondrous beams of glory smite
The ways of upright ones.
O spirits pure and lowly,
Rejoice! make jubilee!
For Yahveh giveth you to see
How great He is and holy.
Rejoice! make jubilee!
For Yahveh giveth you to see
How great He is and holy.
The Unchangeable.
My heart is smitten very sore,
My soul is withered like the grass,
My days like driven vapor pass,
Or bubbles breaking 'gainst the shore.
My soul is withered like the grass,
My days like driven vapor pass,
Or bubbles breaking 'gainst the shore.
I wander with the desert birds,
I bide among the owls of night,
While sons of evil brave the light
And deafen earth with haughty words.
I bide among the owls of night,
While sons of evil brave the light
And deafen earth with haughty words.
Because of Thee my drink is tears,
And ashes are my daily bread—
Because Thine anger flameth red
Against the sins that mark my years.
And ashes are my daily bread—
Because Thine anger flameth red
Against the sins that mark my years.
But Thou wilt turn again to save
The children of Thy holy hill;
And all the cruel Sires of ill
Shall cringe before thy shining glaive.
The children of Thy holy hill;
And all the cruel Sires of ill
Shall cringe before thy shining glaive.
145
Thy glances pierce the morning's breath;
Thou bendest from Thine azure throne
To hear the captive's whispered moan
And free the spirits led to death.
Thou bendest from Thine azure throne
To hear the captive's whispered moan
And free the spirits led to death.
Of old, beyond our feeble thought,
Before the ages came to be,
Thy fingers made the earth and sea,
Thy hand the astral spaces wrought.
Before the ages came to be,
Thy fingers made the earth and sea,
Thy hand the astral spaces wrought.
Lo these, the wonders of thy power,
Shall fall like garments to decay;
Their stateliness shall pass away,
And Thou shalt change them in an hour.
Shall fall like garments to decay;
Their stateliness shall pass away,
And Thou shalt change them in an hour.
But Thou, O Father, art the same;
Thy wondrous, dazzling years endure;
And they shall stand rejoiced, secure,
Who love the beauty of Thy Name.
Thy wondrous, dazzling years endure;
And they shall stand rejoiced, secure,
Who love the beauty of Thy Name.
The Merciful.
I will extol Thee, O my King,
Forever with uplifted face;
Forever magnify Thy grace,
While harp can sound or voice can sing.
Forever with uplifted face;
Forever magnify Thy grace,
While harp can sound or voice can sing.
Thy works adore Thee, stars and suns,
The stable earth, the flying storms,
The broods unborn, the living swarms,
The multitude of sainted ones.
The stable earth, the flying storms,
The broods unborn, the living swarms,
The multitude of sainted ones.
146
We fall; we grovel in the dust;
Because of sin we cannot stand;
Yet dost Thou reach a loving hand,
As though our sorrow made us just.
Because of sin we cannot stand;
Yet dost Thou reach a loving hand,
As though our sorrow made us just.
The eyes of all look up to Thee:
Because we hunger we are fed:
And if Thou gavest not Thy bread,
How soon our life would cease to be!
Because we hunger we are fed:
And if Thou gavest not Thy bread,
How soon our life would cease to be!
But chiefly those who seek Thy throne
Discover that Thy love is sweet:
They never walk with stumbling feet;
They never walk, O Lord, alone.
Discover that Thy love is sweet:
They never walk with stumbling feet;
They never walk, O Lord, alone.
Adoration.
Ye broods of deserts, isles and wildernesses,
Ye monsters of the den,
Ye gentle flocks and herds whose tribute blesses
The toil of men;
Ye monsters of the den,
Ye gentle flocks and herds whose tribute blesses
The toil of men;
Ye finny habitants of rills and fountains,
Ye songsters of the breeze,
Ye vales, ye oaken hills, ye cedarn mountains,
Ye fruitage trees;
Ye songsters of the breeze,
Ye vales, ye oaken hills, ye cedarn mountains,
Ye fruitage trees;
I bid ye praise the Maker who upbuilded
Creation's wondrous frame,
Who jewelled night with galaxies, and gilded
The sun with flame.
Creation's wondrous frame,
Who jewelled night with galaxies, and gilded
The sun with flame.
147
Ye also, sons of Adam, all ye nations
Of regions far and nigh,
Exalt your antiphon of adorations
To God most high.
Of regions far and nigh,
Exalt your antiphon of adorations
To God most high.
Let all adore, the monarch robed in splendor,
The sage with hoary hair,
The mighty man of war, the stripling tender,
The maiden fair;
The sage with hoary hair,
The mighty man of war, the stripling tender,
The maiden fair;
Ungovernable tempests, fierce commotions,
Of fire and sleet and foam;
Abysses, awful deeps, mysterious oceans
Where dragons roam;
Of fire and sleet and foam;
Abysses, awful deeps, mysterious oceans
Where dragons roam;
O azure-tinted firmament of waters,
Of thunder, wind and fire;
O sun and moon, O starry sons and daughters
Of God's desire;
Of thunder, wind and fire;
O sun and moon, O starry sons and daughters
Of God's desire;
O seraphim and angels, bowing lowly
Around the blinding throne;
I bid you praise the Maker, great and holy,
And Him alone.
Around the blinding throne;
I bid you praise the Maker, great and holy,
And Him alone.
| Poems : medley and Palestina | |