 | Songs in many keys |  |
115
DEBORAH'S SONG.
By the hand of a woman when Sisera was slain,
And the kingdom and crown from fierce Jabin were torn,
Then Deborah's song thrilling over the plain
To the camp of her people in triumph was borne.
And the kingdom and crown from fierce Jabin were torn,
Then Deborah's song thrilling over the plain
To the camp of her people in triumph was borne.
Hear, hear, O ye kings, and attend to my voice,
And ye princes of Judah, give ear to my word;
For the avenging of Israel, rejoice, O rejoice,
For I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord.
And ye princes of Judah, give ear to my word;
For the avenging of Israel, rejoice, O rejoice,
For I, even I, will sing praise to the Lord.
O Lord, when Thou wentest in wrath out of Seir,
When Thou marchedst from Edom's incarnadined field,
The heavens dropped water, earth trembled for fear,
Hills melted away, and the clouds were unsealed.
When Thou marchedst from Edom's incarnadined field,
The heavens dropped water, earth trembled for fear,
Hills melted away, and the clouds were unsealed.
All the highways were desert till Jael arose,
And through byeways the traveller journeyed along;
The villages ceased through dread of our foes,
Till I, a mother in Israel, avenged the foul wrong.
And through byeways the traveller journeyed along;
The villages ceased through dread of our foes,
Till I, a mother in Israel, avenged the foul wrong.
127
They chose them new gods; then was war at the door;
Was a shield or a spear throughout Israel known
Though twice twenty thousand had led them before,
When the Canaanite fell and his might was o'erthrown?
Was a shield or a spear throughout Israel known
Though twice twenty thousand had led them before,
When the Canaanite fell and his might was o'erthrown?
Speak, speak, ye that ride on white asses, and say,
What! is there not cause to chant praises to God?
And ye seated in judgment, that walk by the way,
Speak, should not His mercies be sounded abroad?
What! is there not cause to chant praises to God?
And ye seated in judgment, that walk by the way,
Speak, should not His mercies be sounded abroad?
The noise of the archers no longer is heard,
Where maidens draw water from out the clear spring;
But there they rehearse the great acts of the Lord,
At the gates of the city His goodness they sing.
Where maidens draw water from out the clear spring;
But there they rehearse the great acts of the Lord,
At the gates of the city His goodness they sing.
Awake, awake, Deborah, utter a song!
Rise, Barak, arise, and give ear to my word!
Abinoam's brave son, lead thy captives along,
Let each pulse of thy bosom to praises be stirred!
Rise, Barak, arise, and give ear to my word!
Abinoam's brave son, lead thy captives along,
Let each pulse of thy bosom to praises be stirred!
All in Israel left fought bravely and well,
God gave them dominion and strength in the strife;
The mighty before me were vanquished and fell,
At the foot of a woman they yielded their life.
God gave them dominion and strength in the strife;
The mighty before me were vanquished and fell,
At the foot of a woman they yielded their life.
128
Out of Ephraim came but a handful of men,
While Benjamin gave a whole tribe to the fight;
From Zebulon they marched that handle the pen,
And Machir sent nobles of valour and might.
While Benjamin gave a whole tribe to the fight;
From Zebulon they marched that handle the pen,
And Machir sent nobles of valour and might.
Great Issachar's princes took Deborah's part,
As Barak on foot hurried down to the plain,
For Reuben's divisions were searchings of heart,
He chose 'mongst the sheepfolds and flocks to remain.
As Barak on foot hurried down to the plain,
For Reuben's divisions were searchings of heart,
He chose 'mongst the sheepfolds and flocks to remain.
Shame, shame on the cowards who shrank from the fight!
Shame on Gilead; on Dan by his ships on the shore!
And recreant Asher,—cared he not for the right,
That no share in the conflict he gallantly bore?
Shame on Gilead; on Dan by his ships on the shore!
And recreant Asher,—cared he not for the right,
That no share in the conflict he gallantly bore?
Curse ye Meroz,—aye, curse both the men and the town,
'Gainst the mighty they came not to fight for the Lord;
Curse all who in places of safety crouched down,
Nor drew from the scabbard the rust-eaten sword.
'Gainst the mighty they came not to fight for the Lord;
Curse all who in places of safety crouched down,
Nor drew from the scabbard the rust-eaten sword.
Brave Zebulon and Naphthali jeoparded life,
And fought to the death in high parts of the field;
They marched down in battle array to the strife,
Resolved, though at cost of their lives, not to yield.
And fought to the death in high parts of the field;
They marched down in battle array to the strife,
Resolved, though at cost of their lives, not to yield.
129
Dispersed were the squadrons and routed the foe,
Jehovah descended to succour the brave;
He poured on the Gentiles His vials of woe,
And, baffled and beaten, they sank in the grave.
Jehovah descended to succour the brave;
He poured on the Gentiles His vials of woe,
And, baffled and beaten, they sank in the grave.
Like the ripe sheaves of corn by the sickle shorn down,
Fell the kings of Megiddo 'neath Barak's keen sword;
Over Death's ghastly field the red harvest was strown,
For the stars in their courses fought on high for the Lord.
Fell the kings of Megiddo 'neath Barak's keen sword;
Over Death's ghastly field the red harvest was strown,
For the stars in their courses fought on high for the Lord.
The river of Kishon swept by on its wave,
—That river, the Kishon, the ancient and strong,
Swept the armies of Canaan, her mighty and brave,
And bore them to death on its torrent along.
—That river, the Kishon, the ancient and strong,
Swept the armies of Canaan, her mighty and brave,
And bore them to death on its torrent along.
The hoofs of their horses were broken, O Lord,
As they plunged through the rain-sodden field in their flight,
For the steeds were pressed on over plain and through ford,—
O my soul! O my soul! thou hast trodden down might!
As they plunged through the rain-sodden field in their flight,
For the steeds were pressed on over plain and through ford,—
O my soul! O my soul! thou hast trodden down might!
And bless'd among women art thou, Heber's wife,
Thy praises shall ever be woven in song;
For thine is the palm and the crown of the strife,—
Thy hand hath avenged oppressed Israel's wrong.
Thy praises shall ever be woven in song;
For thine is the palm and the crown of the strife,—
Thy hand hath avenged oppressed Israel's wrong.
130
When Sisera for safety had fled to her tent,
Jael met him with welcome and smiles on her face,
And said, as in homage before him she bent,
“Turn in, my lord, turn thee, rest here for a space.”
Jael met him with welcome and smiles on her face,
And said, as in homage before him she bent,
“Turn in, my lord, turn thee, rest here for a space.”
He asked her for water,—she gave him frothed milk,
And butter brought forth in a right lordly bowl,
Then covered him o'er with a mantle of silk,
And watched at his side till deep sleep o'er him stole.
And butter brought forth in a right lordly bowl,
Then covered him o'er with a mantle of silk,
And watched at his side till deep sleep o'er him stole.
Then softly she took both the hammer and nail,
And stealthily crept on his slumber profound;
Her hand never once in its purpose did fail,
She drave the tent-pin through his brow to the ground.
And stealthily crept on his slumber profound;
Her hand never once in its purpose did fail,
She drave the tent-pin through his brow to the ground.
A strong shudder ran through the warrior, and shook
Every limb, which, convulsed, writhed in anguish and pain;
Then a leap in the air, a wild frenzied look,
And down at her feet fell proud Sisera slain.
Every limb, which, convulsed, writhed in anguish and pain;
Then a leap in the air, a wild frenzied look,
And down at her feet fell proud Sisera slain.
At her feet he bowed low,—he fell, he lay down:
Where he fell there he lay, stark, ghastly, and dead.
'Twas a woman who vanquished this chief of renown;
With her hand to the hammer she smote off his head.
Where he fell there he lay, stark, ghastly, and dead.
'Twas a woman who vanquished this chief of renown;
With her hand to the hammer she smote off his head.
131
Through the glare of the noon, through the gloom of the night,
The mother of Sisera looked for her son;
“Why comes not his chariot again from the fight?
Why tarry his wheels when the battle is won?
The mother of Sisera looked for her son;
“Why comes not his chariot again from the fight?
Why tarry his wheels when the battle is won?
“Oh, have they not sped and divided the prey,
A damsel or two to each man for his share?
And for Sisera, the victor in this glorious day,
Work wrought by the needle, embroidery rare?”
A damsel or two to each man for his share?
And for Sisera, the victor in this glorious day,
Work wrought by the needle, embroidery rare?”
O Jael! to thee shall be tuned the sweet lyre;
Thy name shall be lauded from age unto age,
And thousands emboldened by thee shall aspire
The battle with wrong and oppression to wage.
Thy name shall be lauded from age unto age,
And thousands emboldened by thee shall aspire
The battle with wrong and oppression to wage.
As the Gentiles were routed at Kishon's deep ford,
And their horses and chariots were counted for prey,
So may all Thine enemies perish, O Lord,
And like chaff by the whirlwind be driven away.
And their horses and chariots were counted for prey,
So may all Thine enemies perish, O Lord,
And like chaff by the whirlwind be driven away.
But let all them that love Thee go forth in their might,
As the Sun, like a bridegroom, goes forth in his strength,
To scatter the clouds, chase the gloom of the night,
And bring in the splendours of morning at length.
As the Sun, like a bridegroom, goes forth in his strength,
To scatter the clouds, chase the gloom of the night,
And bring in the splendours of morning at length.
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