Classic and Contemporary Poetry
IN SHUSHAN, by E. YANCEY COHEN First Line: O'er lordly shushan's terrac'd walls Last Line: "of the deep-bosom'd, endless blue!" Subject(s): Courts & Courtiers; Israel; Jews; Love; Royal Court Life; Royalty; Kings; Queens; Judaism | ||||||||
I O'ER lordly Shushan's terrac'd walls The starry cloak of midnight falls, And naught doth break the solemn spell Save the soft note of Philomel, Or some faint fountain's silvery tongue Lulling the gardens with its song. The yellow moon doth rule the sky And gild the dark-blue dome on high, And o'er the marble stairways cold A robe of tissue, woof'd with gold, Doth seem to cling, a garment rare Enmantling shoulders lustrous fair! The King doth wassail hold to-night For him the hours have pinions light; II The gladding bounty of the vine He pledges in the ruddy wine, And rears his dripping goblet high To Love and Friendship's unity. His arm encircling Haman's neck, He views with many a nod and beck O'er purple rugs the dancers fly In mazy rounds of revelry. Then sweetest minstrels tune their song, And the gold lamps with faltering ray In lovelier visions fade away, As blessed legions float along Of gods and heroes who began The wars of Darkness and of Light, Of dew-ey'd Morn and sullen Night, Of Ormuzd fair and Ahriman. III A distant palace casement by Queen Esther pauses wearily, And gazes toward the shadowy fields Of silent orbs, where clustering shields Gleam faintHeaven's warriors' loosen'd mail By camp fires glinting far and pale. Sweetly the rose-tint night-wind sues To know her secret, as it woos With kisses passion-warm and quick The languish'd lilies of her cheek. Ah, many fair flowers on earth there be, But never a flower so fair as she! And thus upon the midnight air Wing'd skyward goes her hallow'd prayer; "Sweet Lord of Heaven! who aye hast shown Thy people grace, and from Thy throne, Encircled with angelic throngs, Hast heard their prayers and healed their wrongs, IV Great God of Israel's love and mine, When on the morrow 'fore the King, I dare my people's suit to bring Touch thou my lips with power divine; O make my presence balmy-sweet, That from his purpl'd, royal seat, The king shall smile and in his grace Undo the sorrows of my race. Grant, Lord! that like yon moon serene That sits enthron'd twixt earth and sky, And 'neath her sapphire canopy Doth cheer the night, a blessed queen, I, too, may be twixt those who haste To bring my people to the dust And Thee, sweet Heaven, with all thy host, A Queen as bright and calm and chaste, As peerless, star-soul'd and as true, As yon fair journeyer in the waste Of the deep-bosom'd, endless blue!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE by E. YANCEY COHEN THE IMPOSSIBLE INDISPENSIBILITY OF THE ARS POETICA by HAYDEN CARRUTH |
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