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Page 1 of 11898 · PDF PAGE 52
48 JEPHTHAH. Deep graven in the rocky girth Of Israel’s mountains, in the sky, In all the waters of the earth, In all the fiery steeds that ply Their champing harness and excel _ The charioteers of heaven and hell, In all the Names writ secretly And sacred songs ineffable, In all the words of power that fly About the world, this song they spell : He keepeth Israel. AHINOAM. Ye praise God of full heart: I would to God Your minds were somewhat fuller, and could keep Discretion seated on her ivory throne. What folly is it they will now be at, Gray…
1898 · PDF PAGE 14
…be, And the heart is tossed by the thankless wind. ELEAZAR, Nay, for a man’s sure purpose is of God. CHORUS. The large pale limbs of the earth are tanned With the sun and the sea and the yellow sand And the face of earth is dark with love Of the lords of hell and the spirits above That move in the foggy air of night, And the spirit of God, most like a dove, Hovers, and lingers, and wings his flight, Spurned and rejected and lost to sight; But we desire him, a holy bird, And we turn eyes to the hollow hills ; For God is strong, and His iron word…
1898 · PDF PAGE 61
JEPHTHAH. 57 SEMICHORUS II. With hearts infused of fire, Eyes clear with many waters, With lips to air that quire, We, earth’s desirous daughters, Lift up the song of triumph, sound the lutes of our desire! Elohim ! SEMICHORUS I. With branches strewn before us, And roses flung In all the ways, we chorus With throat and tongue The glory of our warrior sires whose victor swords restore us Jephthah! SEMICHORUS II. With angels vast and calm That keep his way, With streams of holy balm, The prayers of them that pray, We go to bring him home and rais…
1898 · PDF PAGE 51
…EAZAR. God, Who this day has sliumbered not, nor slept, He only keepeth Israel: He is God! CHORUS. When God uplifted hands to smite, And earth from chaos was unrolled, And skies and seas from blackest night Unfurled, twin sapphires set with gold, And tumult of the boisterous deep Roared from its slow ungainly sleep, And flocks of heaven were driven to fold, Then rose the walls of Israel] steep, For in His promise we behold The sworded Sons of glory leap Our tribes in peace to keep. 47
1898 · PDF PAGE 25
…d thine. JEPHTHAH. I thank you, people. Let the younger men Gather their swords and spears, and pass before This spear I strike into the earth, that so I see how many fight for Israel. CHORUS. The young men are girded with swords, And the spears flash on high, and each shield Gleams bright like the fury of lords Through the steam of the well-foughten field, And the children of Ammon are broken, their princes and warriors yield. The captain is chosen for fight, The light of his eye is as fire, And his hand is hardy of might And heavy as dead des…
1898 · PDF PAGE 53
…spired with so profound a hate— He shall not triumph : in the very hour When his o’ermastering forehead tops the sky I strike him to the earth. I need not move. Silence—no more—and all accomplishes. Leviathan, how subtle is thy path! OE
1898 · PDF PAGE 38
… the answer. But dawn shall see a solemn sacrifice, And solemn vows, and long swords glittering, And moving columns that shall shake the earth With firm and manly stride; and victory Most like a dove amid the altar-smoke. CHORUS. We, passing here the night in prayer, will wait And with thee offer up propitious doves, And firstling males of all the flocks of us. JEPHTHAH. Not so: but I will have you hence in haste To gather food and arms and carriages, That all our soldiers may have sustenance, And fresher weapons. I alone will spend
1898 · PDF PAGE 30
26 JEPHTHAH. Thee and thy host from off the earth. Say thus; Ride for thy life, and bring me speedy word. [Exit Herald. CHORUS. Not wingéd forms, nor powers of air, Nor sundered spirits pale and fair, Nor glittering sides and scales, did bring The knowledge of this happy thing That is befallen us unaware. In likeness to the lips that sing Ring out your frosty peal, and smite Loud fingers on the harp, and touch Lutes, and clear psalteries musical, And all stringed instruments, to indite A noble song of triumph, such As men may go to fight withal…
1898 · PDF PAGE 40
… that foamed and that wondered There flashes the heart of a rose ; For its petals are beauty and passion, For its stem the foundation of earth, For bloom the incarnadine fashion Of blessings that roar into birth ; And the gates that roll back on their hinges The soul of the sage may discern, Till the water with crimson that tinges Beyond them miraculous burn ; And the presence of God to the senses Is the passion of God in the mind, As the string of a harp that intenses The note that its fire may not find. For here in the tumult and labour And b…
1898 · PDF PAGE 39
…nset a blossom to kiss, And the silences secretly take us To the well of the water that is ; For the darkness is pregnant with being, As earth that is glad of the rain, And the eyes that are silent and seeing - Are free of the trammels of pain. Like light through the portals they bounded, Their lithe limbs with cruelty curled, And the noise of their crying resounded To kindle the death of the world. For the heaven at sunset is sundered, Its gates to the sages unclose,
1898 · PDF PAGE 49
JEPHTHAH. 45 Into the bowels of the earth, and close Upon those grisly men of war, whose life Groans from the prison that shall crush it out. CHORUS OF ELDERS. Be thou most blessed of the Lord for ever! But what shall he that hath delivered us Have for his guerdon when he comes in triumph ? A milk-white ass shall bear him through the city, And wreaths of roses be instead of dust, And dancing girls, and feet of maidens most, Shall strike a measure of delight, and boys With bright unsullied curls shall minister Before him all the days of life God…
1898 · PDF PAGE 10
…such a purple as incarnadines The western sky when storms are amorous And lie upon the breast of toiling ocean, Such billows to beget as earth devours | In ravening whirlpool guiphs. My veins are full,
1898 · PDF PAGE 58
…, and horrible, to blister me With infamous tearing at my throat. O Hell! Vomit thy monsters forth in myriads To putrefy this fair green earth with blood, But make not me the devilish minister Of such a deed as this! No respite ?—-Must? Irrevocable? I dare not call on God. Thou, thou wilt serve me if I do this thing? Oh, if this be a snare thou settest now, Who hast once already mocked our pact, I swear By God, I cast thee off. Leviathan! Accept the bargain. And I seal it—thus. [Writing in the air
1898 · PDF PAGE 23
…y air; When God was very gracious to all folk, And lifted from us the Philistian yoke, And all the iron power of Edom broke, And all the Earth was fair! Now, seeing that we are sinners, wilt not thou Relent thy hateful brow, And bend on us a forehead full of peace, And bid thine anger cease, And speak sweet words most comfortable, and lose The bitter memory of the wrong long dead And be the lord and prince we gladly choose And crown the mercy of thy royal head, And be the chief, and rule upon thy kin, And be not wroth for sin? For surely in the…
1898 · PDF PAGE 75
…tre was wielded by those who, swathed in thick darkness, and enthroned on their own thunderclouds, looked with the eye of gods upon this earth, and carried out the designs of God with tranquil power. I have depicted such a Servant of God stepping down from his throne at the precise moment when his presence was required, and the tragedy represented in the play stands for the impotent spite of the Evil One, venting itself in personal malice. In short, I have ventured (I trust that in so doing the human pathos of the story has lost nothing, even f…