Chapter 9

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? ----Declare, if thou hast understanding---- Who determined the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who stretched the line upon it? Whereupon were the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, When it brake forth, and issued out of the womb; When I made the cloud the garment thereof, And thick darkness a swaddling band for it, And prescribed for it my decree, And set bars and doors, And said, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; And here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days began, And caused the dayspring to know its place; That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? It is changed as clay under the seal; And all things stand forth as a garment: And from the wicked their light is withholden, And the high arm is broken. Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed unto thee? Or hast thou seen the gates of the shadow of death? Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth? ----Declare, if thou knowest it all---- Where is the way to the dwelling of light, And as for darkness, where is the place thereof; That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, And that thou shouldest discern the paths to the house thereof? ----Doubtless, thou knowest, for thou wast then born, And the number of thy days is great!---- Hast thou entered the treasuries of the snow, Or hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail, Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, Against the day of battle and war? By what way is the light parted, Or the east wind scattered upon the earth? Who hath cleft a channel for the waterflood, Or a way for the lightning of the thunder; To cause it to rain on a land where no man is; On the wilderness, wherein there is no man; To satisfy the waste and desolate ground; And to cause the tender grass to spring forth? Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hidden as with stone, And the face of the deep is frozen. Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou lead forth the signs of the Zodiac in their season? Or canst thou guide the Bear with her train? Knowest thou the ordinances of the heavens? Canst thou establish the dominion thereof in the earth? Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, That abundance of waters may cover thee? Canst thou send forth lightnings, that they may go, And say unto thee, Here we are? Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the mind? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven, When the dust runneth into a mass, And the clods cleave fast together? Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lioness? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, When they couch in their dens, And abide in the covert to lie in wait? Who provideth for the raven his food, When his young ones cry unto God, And wander for lack of meat? Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth? They bow themselves, they bring forth their young, They cast out their sorrows. Their young ones are in good liking, They grow up in the open field; They go forth, and return not again. Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass? Whose house I have made the wilderness, And the salt land his dwelling place; He scorneth the tumult of the city, Neither heareth he the shoutings of the driver. The range of the mountains is his pasture, And he searcheth after every green thing. Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the wild-ox with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave to him thy labour? Wilt thou confide in him, that he will bring home thy seed, And gather the corn of thy threshing-floor? The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth; But are her pinions and feathers kindly? For she leaveth her eggs on the earth, And warmeth them in the dust, And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, Or that the wild beast may trample them. She is hardened against her young ones, as if they were not hers: Though her labour be in vain, she is without fear; Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, Neither hath he imparted to her understanding. What time she lifteth up herself on high, She scorneth the horse and his rider. Hast thou given the horse his might? Hast thou clothed his neck with the quivering mane? Hast thou made him to leap as a locust? The glory of his snorting is terrible. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: He goeth out to meet the armed men. He mocketh at fear and is not dismayed; Neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth against him, The flashing spear and the javelin. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage; Neither standeth he still at the voice of the trumpet. As oft as the trumpet soundeth he saith, Aha! And he smelleth the battle afar off, The thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Doth the hawk soar by thy wisdom, And stretch her wings toward the south? Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, And make her nest on high? She dwelleth on the rock, and hath her lodging there, Upon the crag of the rock and the strong hold. From thence she spieth out the prey; Her eyes behold it afar off. Her young ones also suck up blood: And where the slain are, there is she.

III

SONG OF MOSES AND MIRIAM

TUTTI

_I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:_ _The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea._ The LORD is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation: This is my God, and I will praise him; My father's God, and I will exalt him.

1

MEN

The LORD is a man of war: The LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: And his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. The deeps cover them: They went down into the depths like a stone.

WOMEN

_Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:_ _The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea._

2

MEN

Thy right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power, Thy right hand, O LORD, dasheth in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine excellency thou overthrowest them that rise up against thee: Thou sendest forth thy wrath, it consumeth them as stubble. And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were piled up, The floods stood upright as an heap; The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil: My lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: They sank as lead in the mighty waters.

WOMEN

_Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:_ _The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea._

3

MEN

Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, The earth swallowed them. Thou in thy mercy hast led the people which thou hast redeemed: Thou hast guided them in thy strength to thy holy habitation. The peoples have heard, they tremble: Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then were the dukes of Edom amazed; The mighty men of Moab, trembling taketh hold upon them: All the inhabitants of Canaan are melted away. Terror and dread falleth upon them; By the greatness of thine arm they are as still as a stone; Till thy people pass over, O LORD, Till the people pass over which thou hast purchased. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, The place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, The sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.

WOMEN

_Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:_ _The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea._

IV

DEBORAH'S SONG

_Men._ _For that the leaders took the lead in Israel--_

_Women._ _For that the people offered themselves willingly--_

_Tutti._ _Bless ye the LORD!_

PRELUDE

_Men._ Hear, O ye kings--

_Women._ Give ear, O ye princes--

_Men._ I, even I, will sing unto the LORD--

_Women._ I will sing praise to the LORD, the God of Israel.

_Tutti._ Lord, when thou wentest forth out of Seir, When thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped, Yea, the clouds dropped water. The mountains flowed down at the presence of the LORD, Even yon Sinai at the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel.

1. THE DESOLATION

_Men._ In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways; The rulers ceased in Israel, They ceased--

_Women._ Until that I, Deborah, arose, That I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

_Men._ _My heart is toward the governors of Israel--_

_Women._ _Ye that offered yourselves willingly among the people--_

_Tutti._ _Bless ye the LORD!_

_Men._ _Tell of it, ye that ride on white asses,_ _Ye that sit on rich carpets,_ _And ye that walk by the way:--_

_Women._ _Far from the noise of archers,_ _In the places of drawing water:--_

_Tutti._ _There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD,_ _Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel._

2. THE MUSTER

_Tutti._ Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates--

(_Men._ _Awake, awake, Deborah,_ _Awake, awake, utter a song:--_

_Women._ _Arise, Barak,_ _And lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam._)

_Tutti._ Then came down a remnant of the nobles, The people of the LORD came down for me against the mighty.

_Women._ Out of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek--

_Men._ After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples--

_Women._ Out of Machir came down governors--

_Men._ And out of Zebulun they that handle the marshal's staff

_Women._ And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah--

_Men._ As was Issachar, so was Barak:

_Tutti._ Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.

_Men._ By the watercourses of Reuben There were great resolves of heart.

_Women._ Why satest thou among the sheepfolds, To hear the pipings for the flocks?

_Men._ At the watercourses of Reuben There were great searchings of heart!

_Women._ Gilead abode beyond Jordan--

_Men._ And Dan, why did he remain in ships?--

_Women._ Asher sat still at the haven of the sea, And abode by his creeks.

_Men._ Zebulun was a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death, And Naphtali upon the high places of the field.

3. THE BATTLE AND ROUT

_Strophe_

_Men._ The kings came and fought; Then fought the kings of Canaan, In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo:-- They took no gain of money!

_Antistrophe_

_Women._ They fought from heaven, The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away,-- That ancient river, the river Kishon!

_Strophe_

_Men._ O my soul, march on with strength! Then did the horsehoofs stamp By reason of the pransings, The pransings of their strong ones.

_Antistrophe_

_Women._ Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; Because they came not to the help of the LORD, To the help of the LORD against the mighty!

4. THE RETRIBUTION

_Strophe_

_Men._ Blessed above women shall Jael be, the wife of Heber the Kenite, Blessed shall she be above women in the tent! He asked water, and she gave him milk; She brought him butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, And her right hand to the workman's hammer; And with the hammer she smote Sisera. She smote through his head, Yea, she pierced and struck through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay: At her feet he bowed, he fell: Where he bowed, there he fell down dead!

_Antistrophe_

_Women._ Through the window she looked forth, and cried, The mother of Sisera, through the lattice, "Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?" Her wise ladies answered her, Yea, she returned answer to herself, "Have they not found, Have they not divided the spoil? A damsel, two damsels to every man; To Sisera a spoil of divers colours, A spoil of divers colours of embroidery, Of divers colours of embroidery on both sides, on the necks of the spoil!"

_Tutti._ So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: But let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might!

V

DAVID'S LAMENT

Thy glory, O Israel, Is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty-- Fallen!

Tell it not in Gath, Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon; Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you, Neither fields of offerings: For there the shield of the mighty was vilely cast away, The shield of Saul, as of one not anointed with oil.

From the blood of the slain, From the fat of the mighty, The bow of Jonathan turned not back, And the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, And in their death they were not divided; They were swifter than eagles, They were stronger than lions.

Ye daughters of Israel, Weep over Saul, Who clothed you in scarlet delicately, Who put ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

How are the mighty-- Fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, Slain upon thy high places,

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: Very pleasant hast thou been unto me: Thy love to me was wonderful, Passing the love of women.

How are the mighty-- Fallen! And the weapons of war-- Perished!

VI

DAVID'S SONG OF VICTORY

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; The God of my rock, in him will I trust; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My saviour, thou savest me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

For the waves of death compassed me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were round about me: The snares of death came upon me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yea, I called unto my God: And he heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled, The foundations of heaven moved And were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and discomfited them. Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare, By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were too mighty for me. They came upon me in the day of my calamity: But the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: He delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgements were before me: And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also perfect toward him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness; According to my cleanness in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, With the perfect man thou wilt shew thyself perfect; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward. And the afflicted people thou wilt save: But thine eyes are upon the haughty, That thou mayest bring them down.

For thou art my lamp, O LORD: And the LORD will lighten my darkness. For by thee I run upon a troop: By my God do I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that trust in him. For who is God, save the LORD? And who is a rock, save our God? God is my strong fortress: And he guideth the perfect in his way. He maketh his feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: And thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. I have pursued mine enemies, And destroyed them; Neither did I turn again till they were consumed. And I have consumed them, And smitten them through that they cannot arise: Yea, they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. They looked, but there was none to save; Even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; Thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me. The strangers shall submit themselves unto me: As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me. The strangers shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.

The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation: Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And bringeth down peoples under me, And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me: Thou deliverest me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king: And sheweth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.

VII

THE BRIDE'S REMINISCENCES

A Lyric Idyl

The Interrupted Visit

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 passed 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 shield, and draw near to battle; Harness the horses, and get up ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; Furbish the spears, put on the coats of mail.