| |
| DOWN by the shining sea, | |
| Its swelling waves in sight— | |
| A bare unvarnished hall, | |
| Without, the working world | |
| Its daily tasks did fill; | 5 |
| I stood within, and heard | |
| And watched the passing scene. | |
| It was that day of days, | |
| The birthday of the Law. | |
| |
| An altar, rude of wood, | 10 |
| Stood plainly fashioned forth, | |
| But pious hands had placed | |
| A silken curtain there, | |
| And ’neath its heavy folds | |
| In ’broidered velvet wound, | 15 |
| And hung with silver chains, | |
| There stood the sacred Law, | |
| The parchment scroll of old, | |
| With its strange Hebrew script. | |
| The sunlight clear and strong | 20 |
| That through the window shone, | |
| Like the Shekinah old, | |
| Looked just a sacred fire | |
| That burned about the ark, | |
| And seemed to write God’s name. | 25 |
| A man of humble mien, | |
| And humbler still in garb, | |
| Stood forth and said the prayers, | |
| And read the scrolled Law; | |
| Tho poor and mean he was, | 30 |
| Yet great and grand he seemed, | |
| All garmented and robed | |
| In a strange majesty; | |
| The ancient praying-shawl | |
| About his shoulders wrapt, | 35 |
| And on his brow that look | |
| Of very priest of God— | |
| And presently there rose | |
| The people reverently, | |
| And stood with heads all bowed, | 40 |
| While in a tone of awe, | |
| And in its ancient tongue, | |
| The Decalogue was read. | |
| Then solemnly “Amen” | |
| Was said, as said of old, | 45 |
| While candles slim and white | |
| Burned bright on either side, | |
| And two most reverent men | |
| A guard of honor stood. | |
| The mean hall fell away— | 50 |
| The people disappeared— | |
| The sounds all hushed and died; | |
| But round about me closed | |
| The sunlight shining full | |
| Like spirit of the Lord. | 55 |
| I saw the lightning’s flash, | |
| I heard the thunder roll; | |
| The strange, lone mountain peak | |
| In Eastern desert sand | |
| Rose plain before my eyes; | 60 |
| I felt the heaving earth | |
| About Mount Sinai’s feet, | |
| While trembling slaves made free | |
| Stood ready to be men, | |
| And vowed their sacred oath | 65 |
| To take the righteous Law; | |
| To teach it to all men, | |
| Through ages that might roll. | |
| |
| And so this poor mean room | |
| That held me in a spell, | 70 |
| Swelled to a grandeur vast, | |
| A temple great and rich, | |
| With altar of pure gold, | |
| That held a jewel rare | |
| And single in its worth. | 75 |
| The men before me seemed | |
| To grow in statured height, | |
| To put an air and mien | |
| Of greatness and of power, | |
| Attendants on a Lord, | 80 |
| Who owned the Jewel there— | |
| Who felt and knew that they | |
| Were guardians safe and true, | |
| With privilege to bear | |
| The Treasure of the Lord. | 85 |
| |
