Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander Edited, with a preface, by William Alexander |
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THE BURIAL OF SAMUEL. |
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 | Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander |  |
THE BURIAL OF SAMUEL.
“And Samuel died, and all the Israelites were gathered
together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house
at Ramah.”—I Sam. XXV. 1.
Thirty days amid the hills of Ramah
Doth the voice of lamentation swell,
Like the murmur of a mighty river,
When the winter floods are on the fell,
Doth the voice of lamentation swell,
Like the murmur of a mighty river,
When the winter floods are on the fell,
101
Like a wind imprisoned in the gorges
Of the mountains, moaning as it sweeps—
But no tempest in the valley struggles,
And no torrent tumbles from the steeps.
Of the mountains, moaning as it sweeps—
But no tempest in the valley struggles,
And no torrent tumbles from the steeps.
All the Israelites make moan together
With a lamentation loud and sore,
For the seer is gathered to his fathers,
They shall hear the prophet's voice no more.
With a lamentation loud and sore,
For the seer is gathered to his fathers,
They shall hear the prophet's voice no more.
Bear him, bear him slowly to the burial,
Haunted as ye go is all the air,
With a thousand sweet and solemn fancies,
Memories of the great man that ye bear.
Haunted as ye go is all the air,
With a thousand sweet and solemn fancies,
Memories of the great man that ye bear.
Like a sudden incense borne from Shiloh,
Round the cold corpse comes a fragrant breath,
And a young child with a linen ephod
Girded, glideth by the car of death.
Round the cold corpse comes a fragrant breath,
And a young child with a linen ephod
Girded, glideth by the car of death.
There's a look upon the sharpened features
Of the old man, strangely like the grace
And the glory of unclouded childhood,
As it smiles upon that phantom face.
Of the old man, strangely like the grace
And the glory of unclouded childhood,
As it smiles upon that phantom face.
Sure those lips have held a high communion
And those ears a wondrous Voice have heard,
When the call came through the darkened chamber,
And the child made answer, “Speak, O Lord.”
And those ears a wondrous Voice have heard,
When the call came through the darkened chamber,
And the child made answer, “Speak, O Lord.”
102
For his smile is shadowed in its brightness,
As by some great glory pass'd away—
So the hills that have been gold at sunrise,
Wear a deeper purple all the day.
As by some great glory pass'd away—
So the hills that have been gold at sunrise,
Wear a deeper purple all the day.
Lo! the kingly Benjamite beside him
Walketh once again with stately tread,
And the withered hands are raised in blessing,
And the oil is poured upon his head.
Walketh once again with stately tread,
And the withered hands are raised in blessing,
And the oil is poured upon his head.
But the prophet's heart is full of sorrow,
And some natural tears unbidden spring,
For he sees the rending of the mantle,
And he mourneth for the fallen king.
And some natural tears unbidden spring,
For he sees the rending of the mantle,
And he mourneth for the fallen king.
Sons of Jesse, tall of form, and goodly,
Seven brave warriors pass before the seer,
Look not on their beauty, or their stature,
For the Lord's anointed is not here.
Seven brave warriors pass before the seer,
Look not on their beauty, or their stature,
For the Lord's anointed is not here.
Call the youngest, call him from the sheepfold,
In his eye a spirit pure and free,
On his cheek the colour of the morning,
Call him from the sheepfold! this is he!
In his eye a spirit pure and free,
On his cheek the colour of the morning,
Call him from the sheepfold! this is he!
Slowly, slowly now the visions vanish,
Israel's wail comes up upon the ear,
Prayers of pleading, words of love and warning,
All are over—lift the silent bier!
Israel's wail comes up upon the ear,
Prayers of pleading, words of love and warning,
All are over—lift the silent bier!
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Leave the old man—leave him with his Father,
Dark and lonely in that quiet place
Lonelier shadows on his heart have fallen,
Darker griefs have deepened on his face.
Dark and lonely in that quiet place
Lonelier shadows on his heart have fallen,
Darker griefs have deepened on his face.
An ungrateful people's causeless clamour,
Sons regardless of their father's call,
And his dream of hero-goodness broken
On the hard heart of rebellious Saul.
Sons regardless of their father's call,
And his dream of hero-goodness broken
On the hard heart of rebellious Saul.
But the tree that blossomed well in summer,
Blossoms sweetly at the autumn's close;
Graces nursed in childhood and in manhood,
In old age are sweeter than the rose.
Blossoms sweetly at the autumn's close;
Graces nursed in childhood and in manhood,
In old age are sweeter than the rose.
Here is incense, richer than in Shiloh
The child-Levite from the altar sent,
Deeds of love and mercy and devotion,
All the fragrance of a life well spent.
The child-Levite from the altar sent,
Deeds of love and mercy and devotion,
All the fragrance of a life well spent.
Calmly slept the fair child by the altar,
As he waited for God's voice of dread—
Calmer doth the good saint sleep in Ramah,
Waiting for the Voice that wakes the dead.
As he waited for God's voice of dread—
Calmer doth the good saint sleep in Ramah,
Waiting for the Voice that wakes the dead.
| Poems by Cecil Frances Alexander | |