Select Masterpieces of Biblical Literature Part 14

THE BRIDE

The voice of my beloved! behold he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall, He looketh in at the windows, He sheweth himself through the lattice.

My beloved spake, and said unto me: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away.

For, lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom, They give forth their fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one, And come away.

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice;

For sweet is thy voice, And thy countenance is comely."

VOICES OF THE BROTHERS (_heard interrupting_)

"Take us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom."

_My beloved is mine, and I am his:_ _He feedeth his flock among the lilies._ _Until the day break, and the shadows flee away,_ _Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart_ _Upon the mountains of separation._

The Happy Dream

By night, on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I said, I will rise now, and go about the city, In the streets and in the broad ways, I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

It was but a little that I pa.s.sed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me.

_I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,_ _By the roes, and by the hinds of the field,_ _That ye stir not up, nor awaken love,_ _Until it please._

VIII

THE BATTLE OF CARCHEMISH

1

Order ye the buckler and s.h.i.+eld, and draw near to battle; Harness the horses, and get up ye hors.e.m.e.n, and stand forth with your helmets; Furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.

Wherefore have I seen it? they are dismayed, And are turned backward, and their mighty ones are beaten down, And are fled apace, and look not back.

Terror is on every side, saith the LORD, Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape: In the north by the river Euphrates have they stumbled and fallen.

2

Who is this that riseth up like the Nile, Whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?

Egypt riseth up like the Nile, And his waters toss themselves like the rivers; And he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

Go up, ye horses; and rage, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the s.h.i.+eld; And the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow.

For that day is a day of the Lord, the LORD of hosts, A day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: And the sword shall devour and be satiate, And shall drink its fill of their blood: For the Lord, the LORD of hosts hath a sacrifice In the north country by the river Euphrates.

3

Go up into Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: In vain dost thou use many medicines; There is no healing for thee.

The nations have heard of thy shame, and the earth is full of thy cry: For the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, They are fallen both of them together.

IX

A SONG OF ZION REDEEMED

1

Arise, s.h.i.+ne; for thy light is come, And the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, And gross darkness the peoples: But the LORD shall arise upon thee, And his glory shall be seen upon thee.

2

And nations shall come to thy light, And kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: They all gather themselves together, they come to thee: Thy sons shall come from far, And thy daughters shall be carried in the arms.

Then thou shalt see and be lightened, And thine heart shall tremble and be enlarged; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, The wealth of the nations shall come unto thee.

The mult.i.tude of camels shall cover thee, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; They all shall come from Sheba, they shall bring gold and frankincense, And shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, And I will beautify the house of my glory.

3

Who are these that fly as a cloud, And as the doves to their windows?

Surely the isles shall wait for me, And the s.h.i.+ps of Tars.h.i.+sh first, To bring thy sons from far, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD thy G.o.d, And for the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

And strangers shall build up thy walls, And their kings shall minister unto thee: For in my wrath I smote thee, But in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

Thy gates also shall be open continually, They shall not be shut day nor night; That men may bring unto thee the wealth of the nations, And their kings led with them: For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.