 | Poems by Miss H. F. Gould |  |
204
THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH.
“But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.”
Gen. xxiii. 13.
The sun over Hebron's green plain rising bright,
His first rays of glory has sent,
To blend with the tears, where the dark eye of night
Has wept round the Patriarch's tent.
His first rays of glory has sent,
To blend with the tears, where the dark eye of night
Has wept round the Patriarch's tent.
For, sorrow and death with the night have been there:
The spirit of Sarah has fled.
Her form lies at rest, while the soft morning air,
With Abraham, sighs o'er the dead.
The spirit of Sarah has fled.
Her form lies at rest, while the soft morning air,
With Abraham, sighs o'er the dead.
The tall, aged oak that is guarding the door,
With arms spreading widely away,
A fresh, living curtain hangs trembling before
The peaceful and spiritless clay.
With arms spreading widely away,
A fresh, living curtain hangs trembling before
The peaceful and spiritless clay.
And there, in his grief, does the patriarch stand:
He looks to the left and the right,
And forward, and back, for a place in the land
To bury his dead out of sight.
He looks to the left and the right,
And forward, and back, for a place in the land
To bury his dead out of sight.
But here, far away from the land of his birth—
From all of his kindred and name,
No spot where his lost one can sleep in the earth,
The lonely Chaldean may claim.
From all of his kindred and name,
No spot where his lost one can sleep in the earth,
The lonely Chaldean may claim.
205
A field lies before him, with trees green and high,
A grove that imbosoms a cave;
And this does he seek with his silver to buy,
To hallow it thence, as a grave.
A grove that imbosoms a cave;
And this does he seek with his silver to buy,
To hallow it thence, as a grave.
The people of Canaan, who pass to and fro,
From the gates of their city, draw near
The tent of the pilgrim, their pity to show—
His woes and his wishes to hear.
From the gates of their city, draw near
The tent of the pilgrim, their pity to show—
His woes and his wishes to hear.
Majestic in sorrow he stands, while the crowd
From o'er the wide plain gather round:
With reverence now, to their chief has he bowed
Till his white, flowing beard met the ground.
From o'er the wide plain gather round:
With reverence now, to their chief has he bowed
Till his white, flowing beard met the ground.
His accents are firm—in his eye is there shown
The wisdom that beams through a tear;
And thus is the grief of his bosom made known,
While Ephron, the ruler, gives ear.
The wisdom that beams through a tear;
And thus is the grief of his bosom made known,
While Ephron, the ruler, gives ear.
“A stranger, I come from my home far away;
The ground of the stranger I tread:
While death finds a place in my dwelling to-day,
I 've nowhere to bury my dead!”
The ground of the stranger I tread:
While death finds a place in my dwelling to-day,
I 've nowhere to bury my dead!”
“Behold,” replies Ephron, in sympathy's voice,
“We have many sepulchres made,
Where slumber our dead; and we give thee thy choice
Of all, wherein thine may be laid.”
“We have many sepulchres made,
Where slumber our dead; and we give thee thy choice
Of all, wherein thine may be laid.”
206
The patriarch answers:—“Can silver procure
A spot, that to me and to mine,
Shall be a possession made sacred and sure;
I ask it of thee and of thine.
A spot, that to me and to mine,
Shall be a possession made sacred and sure;
I ask it of thee and of thine.
“The cave that is there, in the end of the field—
The cave of Machpelah—the earth,
And trees round about it, I ask thee to yield
To me; and to name me their worth.”
The cave of Machpelah—the earth,
And trees round about it, I ask thee to yield
To me; and to name me their worth.”
“'T is four hundred shekels of silver. But what
Is silver between thee and me?”
The generous owner replies,—“Of the spot
I give full possession to thee.”
Is silver between thee and me?”
The generous owner replies,—“Of the spot
I give full possession to thee.”
Once more speaks the sage of Chaldea: “The land
I take; but the gift I decline.
The price duly weighed putting now in thy hand,
I make the place righteously mine.”
I take; but the gift I decline.
The price duly weighed putting now in thy hand,
I make the place righteously mine.”
And now on the fair land of promise is laid
The first claim of permanent hold!
A grave is the purchase! the first ever made
Of earth, with its silver or gold!
The first claim of permanent hold!
A grave is the purchase! the first ever made
Of earth, with its silver or gold!
Blest cave of Machpelah, how holy the trust
That long has been given to thee!
Enshrined in thy bosom, how rich is the dust!
How great its disclosure will be!
That long has been given to thee!
Enshrined in thy bosom, how rich is the dust!
How great its disclosure will be!
207
For when the archangel, descending the skies,
Shall give the loud summons to all,
Then Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will rise
From thee, and come forth at the call!
Shall give the loud summons to all,
Then Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will rise
From thee, and come forth at the call!
| Poems by Miss H. F. Gould | |