Classic Poem

1.

Taught by our Sires, great God, our ear
Thy wondrous Acts has wak'd to hear,
The Mercies to their Tribes reveal'd,
When Ages long o'erpast beheld.
By Thee dissodg'd an impious race
Yield to their chosen Seed a place;

2.

When Israel 's Sons, thy foes o'erthrown,
Obtain'd possessions not their own;
Where, planted by the hand divine,
With large increase their prosp'ring Line
Are bless'd, and nourish'd by thy care
The fulness of thy bounty share.

3.

For not the arm of human might,
Nor sword of steel, upheld their right;
Thy pow'r exerted in their aid,
Thy presence o'er their heads display'd,
Proclaim'd them favour'd from on high,
And bade each force before them fly.

4.

Thee, Lord, our King, and Thee alone,
Attentive to thy Laws we own;
Indulgent still, Almighty Friend,
Thy Arm in Israel 's cause extend,
And let us, on thy aid reclin'd,
Thee still our great Salvation find.

5.

Through Thee our Hosts unmov'd shall stand,
Strike with the horn each adverse band,
Thy name invok'd, their fury meet,
And tread them breathless at their feet:
Not from our sword or from our bow
Our souls such confidence shall know;

6.

Thou, Lord, each adverse pow'r shalt quell,
Thy strength their gath'ring troops dispel:
That strength our boast, thy hallow'd name,
Our hymns of loudest praise shall claim,
While Time shall roll its rapid tide,
And Day and Night thy works divide.

7.

But now, thy wonted aid withheld,
Repuls'd, asham'd, we quit the field;
No more we see, to battle led,
Th' Almighty Conqu'ror at our head,
But quick retreat in wild dismay,
Abandon'd to our foes a prey.

8.

Beneath thy anger, Lord, we groan,
The flock whom thou hadst seal'd thine own,
As Beasts for food decreed we die,
Or, spar'd, as worthless in thine eye
See! sold for nought our Lords we change,
And lost through distant climates range.

9.

Each neighb'ring Realm with scornful gaze
Thy People's ruin'd state surveys;
Our name, amid the Nations round,
A proverb in each mouth is found;
Assembled Crouds insulting stand,
And fierce Derision claps the hand.

10.

How feels my heart the dire disgrace!
How glows with ceaseless shame my face,
While thus, divested of thy fear,
With keen reproach they wound my ear,
And with revengeful hand fulfil
The dictates of their lawless will!

11.

Yet, torn with grief, with dread oppress'd,
Thy eyes can witness that our breast
Its trust from Thee has ne'er remov'd,
Nor faithless to thy Compact prov'd,
For lo! the dictates of thy Law
Our thoughts to full obedience awe;

12.

No Lord but Thee thy Servants greet,
Nor wander from thy paths our feet,
Though, fir'd with ceaseless rage, a croud
Advance, and round us roar aloud,
Though 'midst the dragon's haunts we tread,
And death's dark shades are o'er us spread.

13.

If, ever, of the name divine
Forgetful, we our faith resign,
Or if, averse to thy command,
To Stranger-Gods we lift the hand,
Say, shall our crime thy search elude,
Whose eyes our inmost thoughts have view'd?

14.

Thy Cause we still avow; thy Cause
The hostile sword against us draws,
And numbers to the death our train,
As Sheep, whose blood the hallow'd fane,
Before the altar's kindled flames,
By regular allotment claims.

15.

Arise, eternal God, arise;
Why sits this slumber on thine eyes?
Awake, nor from thy care expel
Thy once regarded Israel:
Say why from our afflicted race,
Why veils th' impervious cloud thy face?

16.

O tell us why thine ear denies
To hear thy captive People's cries,
As sunk with sorrow's weight we bend,
And prostrate in the dust descend:
Arise, thy saving pow'r disclose,
And heal with pitying hand our woes.