| |
| NO tombstone saw they there, | |
| No sepulchre’s pallid gleam; | |
| But a quiver went through the blue bright air, | |
| Like a thrill of a glorious dream. | |
| And the stately palm trees bowed, | 5 |
| By old Euphrates’ tide; | |
| And the deep sky glowed, like a burning cloud, | |
| Or a spirit glorified. | |
| When the good old Patriarch’s footsteps trod | |
| The sapphire pavements, that lead to God. | 10 |
| Where was he, when the gates | |
| Of Heaven were opened wide? | |
| Praying alone, like one that waits, | |
| By Tigris’ sacred tide. | |
| Or by some lonely shore | 15 |
| Where the hollow echo dwells, | |
| And sounding sea beats evermore, | |
| ’Mid rocks and strange bright shells? | |
| Or chanting God’s praises, with happy cheer, | |
| When the songs of the angels broke on his ear? | 20 |
| And the gray Chaldean plains | |
| With a golden radiance shone, | |
| As Earth caught full the light that reigns | |
| Beside the Eternal Throne. | |
| Far off, and low, she heard | 25 |
| The flow of Life’s bright stream | |
| And the music of strange sweet melodies | |
| That haunts her like a dream; | |
| And only God’s angels, with solemn eye, | |
| Saw the glorious pageant passing by. | 30 |
| And still the rocks frown high, | |
| Amid the shadows lone— | |
| But their echoes nevermore reply | |
| To the sweet angelic tone; | |
| And an awful mystery fills | 35 |
| That land of unknown graves, | |
| And ever thrills the solemn hills | |
| That guard Euphrates’ waves; | |
| But the word of God through ages dim, | |
| Reveals how Enoch went home to Him. | 40 |
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