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| WHEN the pride of the rose is the image of sorrow, | |
| And the leaf that is yellow, steals joy from to-morrow, | |
| When the night is the darkest, and the stars are the brightest, | |
| When sleep is the soundest, and dreams are the lightest, | |
| When warm is the home, and the heavens are chilly, | 5 |
| And soft is the couch, and the rising is hilly, | |
| When the nests and the flowers are dreaming and sleeping, | |
| Who is it, with heaven is silently weeping | |
| As he dashes a dream from his dim drowsy eye, | |
| When searching for signs of the dawn in the sky? | 10 |
| Who is it in shadows, a lantern is lighting, | |
| And fondles a hymnal, days darkened with blighting, | |
| The covers all frayed, and the folios yellowed; | |
| Ah, ages with ages of tear stains here followed; | |
| Who is it with hymnal o’er mountains is running, | 15 |
| Through mists that are mazy, and ways that are cunning, | |
| O’er royalties fallen with manifold sighings, | |
| Where the spirit of autumn is silently crying, | |
| O’er Eden in ruins though dewdrops are falling, | |
| Where things that are widowed and orphaned are calling, | 20 |
| Through bowers where silent the birds are in dreaming | |
| Of songs they will sing when the heavens are beaming, | |
| O’er gems that are sparkling on bluebells and grasses, | |
| O’er flowers unseen, like a spirit who passes | |
| With the dew on his brow, the malign mists defying? | 25 |
| ’Tis the Jew, who to God from the shadow is flying, | |
| And the night’s shining soul with a star and a ray, | |
| It brothers the palmer to pray for the Day— | |
| The synagogue seeks he with lights all ashimmer, | |
| And finds there the daylight ere morning stars glimmer; | 30 |
| Behold it is Selichoth—the storming of heaven | |
| With prayers and tears till with woe it is riven; | |
| And all the white hymns that are winged with white fire, | |
| And shod with the lightnings of souls that aspire, | |
| Make way through the seraphs that stand by His glory, | 35 |
| And tell the Almighty sad Israel’s story. | |
| O hearken how myriads of martyrs are crying, | |
| And ages with ages in sorrows are vying! | |
| “O God, who of mercy made sceptre and station, | |
| Who keepeth His love to the thousandth generation, | 40 |
| Long suffering heaven, forgiving transgression | |
| How long will we suffer? O, use your compassion, | |
| And banish injustice, and stay the oppressor, | |
| Redeemer of Israel, sole intercessor! | |
| Make righteousness triumph, make love hold the sceptre, | 45 |
| O write Thy humaner and heavenlier chapter, | |
| Bring the Jew a new morn, bring the world a new morrow.” | |
| So prayeth the Jew with the Genius of Sorrow! | |
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