| |
| ON the sand and sea-weed lying, | |
| Israel poured her doleful sighing, | |
| While before the deep sea flowed, | |
| And behind fierce Egypt rode, | |
| To their fathers’ God they prayed, | 5 |
| To the Lord of Hosts for aid. | |
| |
| On the margin of the flood | |
| With lifted rod the prophet stood; | |
| And the summoned east wind blew, | |
| And aside it sternly threw | 10 |
| The gathered waves that took their stand, | |
| Like crystal rocks, on either hand, | |
| Or walls of sea-green marble piled | |
| Round some irregular city wild. | |
| |
| Then the light of morning lay | 15 |
| On the wonder-paved way, | |
| Where the treasures of the deep | |
| In their caves of coral sleep. | |
| The profound abysses, where | |
| Was never sound from upper air, | 20 |
| Rang with Israel’s chanted words: | |
| King of king and Lord of lords! | |
| |
| Then, with bow and banner glancing, | |
| On exulting Egypt came, | |
| With her chosen horsemen prancing, | 25 |
| And her cars on wheels of flame, | |
| In a rich and boastful ring, | |
| All around her furious king. | |
| |
| But the Lord from out his cloud— | |
| The Lord looked down upon the proud, | 30 |
| As the host drave heavily | |
| Down the deep bosom of the sea. | |
| With a quick and sudden swell | |
| Prone the liquid ramparts fell; | |
| Over horse and over car, | 35 |
| Over every man of war, | |
| Over Pharaoh’s crown of gold, | |
| The loud thundering billows rolled. | |
| As the level water spread, | |
| Down they sank, they sank like lead, | 40 |
| Down without a cry or groan. | |
| And the morning sun that shone | |
| On myriads of bright-armed men, | |
| Its meridian radiance then | |
| Cast on a wide sea, heaving as of yore | 45 |
| Against a silent, solitary shore. | |
| Then did Israel’s maidens sing, | |
| Then did Israel’s timbrels ring, | |
| To Him, the King of kings that in the sea | |
| The Lord of lords had triumphed gloriously! | 50 |
| |
