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…ah! SEMICHORUS OF MAIDENS II. Forth, maidens, with your hands White with new lilies ! Forth, maidens, in bright bands, Virgins whose one sweet will is To sing the victory of our God in all sky-girdled lands! Elohim! SEMICHORUS I. With dancing feet, and noise Of timbrels smitten, With tears and tender joys, With songs unwritten, With music many-mouthed, with robes in snowy equipoise. Jephthah!
…itter shine the hills ; The foaming forehead of the light All air with cloudy fragrance fills ; And, born of desolation blind, The young sweet summer burns behind. The Altar of the Lord is set With salt and fire and fervid wine, And toward the east the light is let For shadow for the holiest shrine : One moment hangs the fire of dawn Until the sacrament be sworn. Behold, the priest, our captain, takes The sacred robes, the crown of gold, The light of other sunlight breaks Upon his forehead calm and cold
…lds aloof in rocky deserts, where The land, accurst of God, is barren still Of any herb, or flower, or any tree, And has no shelter, nor sweet watersprings, Save where a lonely cave is hollow, and where A meagre fountain sucks the sand. Our folk Are naked of his counsel and defence Against the tribe of Ammon, and stand aghast; Our feeble arms sway doubtfully long swords, And spears are flung half-heartedly ; and he With warlike garrison and stronger arms _ Who might have helped us, laughs, and violence
…as idols crowned, Lie dust upon the empty ground. She goes, our sorrow’s sacrifice, Our lamb, our firstling, frail and white, With large sweet love-illumined eyes Into the night, into the night. The throne of night shall be withdrawn ; So moveth she toward the dawn. All peoples and all kings that move By love and sacrifice inspired In light and holiness and love, And seek some end of God desired, Pass, though they seem to sink in night, To dawns more perdurably bright. So priest and people join to praise The secret wisdom of the Lord, Awaiting …
…tand? Or so debase his thought As meet their minds, and seem as wisdom’s self? CHORUS. Leave now thy gibing in the hour of joy, And lend sweet wisdom to awaiting ears. Thy voice shall carry it, thy words shall bear Full fruit to-day. Speak only, it is done. AHINOAM. I am grown old, and go not out to wars. But in the lusty days of youth my face Turned from the battle and pursuit and spoil Only to one face dearer than my soul, And my wife’s eyes were welcome more desired Than chains of roses, and the song of children, And swinging palm branches, …
JEPHTHAH. Are mirrored in those breasts that hold Sweet odours of the sunny spring. Behold the rising swell of perfect calm In breezy dells adorable of balm ! Behold the tender rosy feet Made bare for holiness, that move Like doves amid the waving wheat, Or swallows silver in the grove Where sylph and salamander meet, And gnome and undine swoon for love ! Her feet that flit upon the windy way Twin fawns, the daughters of the rosy day. Behold, the arms of her desire Wave, weave, and wander in the air, Vines life-endued by subtle fire So quick an…
…d robes Of priestly purity, our joyous selves. O fortunate day! O measured steps of noon, Quicken, if once ye stayed for Joshua, To keep sweet music to our hearts. Away! [Exeunt all but Jared. JARED. I will await, and hide myself away Behind yon bushes, to behold the plot Bud to fulfilment. Then, Leviathan, I am thy master. Mockery of a God That seest this thing prosper—Ha! thine altar! Let me give thanks, Jehovah! O thou God That rulest Israel as sheep and slaves, But over me no ruler; thou proud God - That marshallest these petty thunder-clou…
…overs bared their swords to-day ; and ye, O reverend heads, most beautiful for gray, The comely crown of age, that doth beseem Your wise sweet beauty, as the ivy wreathes The rugged glory of the sycamore, Have ye heard aught of Jephthah’s home-coming ? For our cheeks tingle with th’ expected kiss Of hardy warriors dear to us, and now By double kinship rendered doubly dear. For O! my father comes to gladden me With those enduring kisses that endow Heart, hope, and life with gladness. Comes he soon ? ELEAZAR. Maiden most perfect, daughter of our …
… are gabbling. Sing to him perchance! The voice of old men is a pleasant thing. CHORUS. What say ye, brethren, shall we sing to him Some sweet low ditty, or the louder pean?
…hat 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 dusty days and years There is a little river flowing still That brings forgetfulness of woes and fears And drinks up all the memory of ill. 19
…my own life they have never breathed One chilly word of fear, or one divine Roseate syllable of hope and joy. Still less of love. For no sweet life of love Lies to my hand, but I am bound by Fate To the strong compulsion of the sword; my lips Shall fasten on my wife’s not much; nor those Pure lips of innocent girlhood that call me Father ; but my lips must wreathe smiles no more, But set in fearful strength of purpose toward The blood of enemies, in horrid gouts And hideous fountains leaping from great gashes, Rather than that belovéd blood tha…