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| ’TIS night, dark night! a solemn stillness reigns | |
| O’er Egypt’s land; the midnight hour is come, | |
| Whilst Pharaoh’s disobedience still detains | |
| Against God’s will his people; such a doom | |
| Ne’er fell on land, and ne’er will fall again, | 5 |
| These were the words divine, which Moses gave | |
| To Egypt’s king and court; but all in vain. | |
| His heart is hardened, nothing now can save | |
| The land from desolation; for ’twas He, | |
| The Immutable, who gave this dread command, | 10 |
| Death in his stead shall reign; Eternity | |
| Shall swallow up the first-born of the land. | |
| But hard and harder grew the tyrant’s heart; | |
| No fear of God had ever entered there; | |
| With Israel’s children; how could man so dare, | 15 |
| Not love but tyranny, forbade him part | |
| Against high Heaven’s designs, his own to place, | |
| In competition! (what, but want of fear | |
| Of that high Power, could with unblushing face | |
| Have made him tempt Omnipotence, and rear | 20 |
| His haughty head? but God in wisdom knew, | |
| In wisdom infinite divinely planned; | |
| Th’ Eternal mind already had in mind | |
| Glorious redemption—infinitely planned | |
| Oh great deliverance! what love too great, | 25 |
| What gratitude of ours can e’er repay | |
| The mercy which released us from that state | |
| Of servile bondage and tyrannic sway? | |
| In every house is silence most profound, | |
| Th’ Egyptians sleep—not so the chosen race | 30 |
| Who, all prepared, now wait without a sound, | |
| Whilst anxious hope is pictured on each face. | |
| Now suddenly along the midnight air | |
| A low and piteous wailing first is borne, | |
| Then loud and fearful shrieks of sad despair | 35 |
| Echo from house to house, where death has gone. | |
| Swiftly upon the sable wing of night, | |
| The angel has gone forth; upon his brow | |
| No pity can be traced; for in his sight | |
| The prince and meanest slave are equalled now. | 40 |
| Then Pharaoh’s voice amid the general cry, | |
| In grief and haste for Moses loudly called, | |
| Moses and Aaron he implored to fly, | |
| For death surrounds him, he stands appalled. | |
| Then did the Israelites come forth as one, | 45 |
| Their wives, their children—cattle in arrear | |
| In silence and in haste their flight began; | |
| They marched triumphant, for their God was near. | |
| He was their only guide by night and day, | |
| A cloud by day—a pillar of fire by night | 50 |
| Thus gloriously He led them on their way. | |
| And thus He ever keeps us in His sight. | |
| Now scarce encamped besides the sea, they view, | |
| With dread and horror Pharaoh and his host, | |
| His chariots and his horsemen all pursue | 55 |
| To overtake them ere they reach the coast. | |
| But what are human plans if God oppose, | |
| “Fear not,” then Moses said, “but wait and see | |
| Salvation of the Lord; for these our foes | |
| Will never more on earth be seen by thee.” | 60 |
| He scarce had said, when at the voice of God | |
| The sea divides—they walk upon dry land, | |
| Then, at the voice Divine, he lifts his rod— | |
| Two upright walls of sea majestic stand. | |
| The cloud, which until now, had gone before, | 65 |
| Suddenly changes its resplendent light, | |
| The Israelites now crossed—the sea once more | |
| Resumes its place, but in the Egyptians’ sight | |
| The light is darkness now; for all is seen | |
| Dark on that side, where Pharaoh’s horsemen dash | 70 |
| On with rapid speed; while still between | |
| That cloud remains. A loud and fearful crash, | |
| Another and another quick succeed, | |
| ’Tis God who fights against them; vain the thought | |
| To flee from Israel’s face; for whence proceeds | 75 |
| Such wond’rous power, if not from God who fought | |
| On Israel’s side? who safe had reached the shore | |
| Ere morning’s faintest blush began to spread, | |
| They saw the Egyptians sink to rise no more, | |
| Not one that was not numbered with the dead. | 80 |
| Then all the multitude, with one accord | |
| Joined Moses in a loud and heartfelt cry | |
| Of gratitude and praises to the Lord; | |
| “They sang to Him who triumphed gloriously.” | |
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