| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900. |
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| 1698. The Song of the Sons of Esau |
| | | By Bertha Brooks Runkle |
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| YE smooth-faced sons of Jacob, hug close your ingleside; | |
| Guard well the market in its wealth, the palace in its pride! | |
| Oh, blithe it is to wander, and the world is wide! | |
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| Hard straining at their cables, the captive vessels ride: | |
| Haul up the prisoning anchor, swing out upon the tide! | 5 |
| Oh, grandly fills the canvas, and the sea is wide! | |
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| Mysterious spreads the forest, where strange, shy creatures bide: | |
| Within its dim remoteness who knows what wonders hide? | |
| Oh, softly step the wild things, and the jungle’s wide! | |
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| Across the stretching desert the tireless camels stride, | 10 |
| The scorching sun above them, the scorching sands beside. | |
| Oh, steady swing the camels, and the plain is wide! | |
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| Through leagues on leagues of ice-fields, the time-old glaciers slide | |
| Across the drifted valley, from drifted mountain-side. | |
| Oh, keenly stings the Northwind, and the snow is wide! | 15 |
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| It is our weird to wander, whatever fate betide; | |
| We seek the vast far places, nor trail nor chart to guide. | |
| The restlessness is on us, and the world is wide! | |
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| O canny sons of Jacob, to fret and toiling tied, | |
| We grudge you not the birthright for which your father lied! | 20 |
| We own the right or roaming, and the world is wide! | |
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| For you the pomp and power, prosperity and pride: | |
| For us the happy wilderness, and not a care to chide. | |
| To give us room to wander was the world made wide! | |
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