The Reliquary By Bernard and Lucy Barton. With A Prefatory Appeal for Poetry and Poets |
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| II. |
THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA. |
 | The Reliquary |  |
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THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA.
In safety through the parted deep
Have journey'd Israel's bands;
And now upon the craggy steep
Their prophet leader stands.
Have journey'd Israel's bands;
And now upon the craggy steep
Their prophet leader stands.
He looks upon the floods below,
And hears the stifled hum,
Which tells him the pursuing foe
In vengeful triumph come.
And hears the stifled hum,
Which tells him the pursuing foe
In vengeful triumph come.
On, on their ocean-path they tread
Between the sever'd waves,
That Jacob's sons may back be led,
A band of hopeless slaves.
Between the sever'd waves,
That Jacob's sons may back be led,
A band of hopeless slaves.
Calmly he waits until the last
Of Israel reach the shore:—
'Tis done! the tyrant's hour is past,
And mercy pleads no more.
Of Israel reach the shore:—
'Tis done! the tyrant's hour is past,
And mercy pleads no more.
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Then Moses lifts his gifted rod,
Gifted with power divine,
He names the name of Israel's God,
And ocean owns the sign.
Gifted with power divine,
He names the name of Israel's God,
And ocean owns the sign.
As when by some dread earthquake's shock,
A mighty city falls,
At once the deep foundations rock,
And sink its liquid walls.
A mighty city falls,
At once the deep foundations rock,
And sink its liquid walls.
Back, back, recoils the beetling surge!
And, from their towering height,
Their headlong fall the waters urge,
O'erwhelming Egypt's might.
And, from their towering height,
Their headlong fall the waters urge,
O'erwhelming Egypt's might.
Troops fall on troops, hosts rush on hosts,
Beneath each meeting wave,
Leaving, for loud and haughty boasts
The stillness of the grave.
Beneath each meeting wave,
Leaving, for loud and haughty boasts
The stillness of the grave.
Silent, except the solemn sound
Of billows bursting o'er
The proud, the mighty, the renown'd
In thunder on the shore.
Of billows bursting o'er
The proud, the mighty, the renown'd
In thunder on the shore.
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But Israel's thousands, free from harm,
Spectators of the sight,
Behold with awe God's outstretch'd arm
For their deliverance fight.
Spectators of the sight,
Behold with awe God's outstretch'd arm
For their deliverance fight.
Themselves, by one triumphant stroke,
Rich with their spoilers' spoils,
Their galling chains of bondage broke,
And clos'd their captive toils.
Rich with their spoilers' spoils,
Their galling chains of bondage broke,
And clos'd their captive toils.
They see the column'd flame that led
Their hosts through waters dark,
Its glorious light yet deigns to shed
Upon their hallow'd ark.
Their hosts through waters dark,
Its glorious light yet deigns to shed
Upon their hallow'd ark.
Around it, camp'd in peace and love,
The tribes of Israel lie;
Glory and praise to God above,
Who gives the victory!
The tribes of Israel lie;
Glory and praise to God above,
Who gives the victory!
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