The Hebrew Mother

The rose was in rich bloom on Sharon’s plain,When a young mother, with her first-born, thenceWent up to Zion; for the boy was vow’dUnto the Temple service. By the handShe led him, and her silent soul, the while,Oft as the dewy laughter of his eyeMet her sweet serious glance, rejoiced to thinkThat aught so pure, so beautiful was hers,To bring before her God. So pass’d they onO’er Judah’s hills; and wheresoe’er the leavesOf the broad sycamore made sounds at noon,Like lulling rain-drops, or the olive boughs,With their cool dimness, cross’d the sultry blueOf Syria’s heaven, she paused, that he might rest;Yet from her own meek eyelids chased the sleepThat weigh’d their dark fringe down, to sit and watchThe crimson deepening o’er his cheek’s repose,As at a red flower’s heart. And where a fountLay, like a twilight star, midst palmy shades,Making its bank green gems along the wild,There, too, she linger’d, from the diamond waveDrawing bright water for his rosy lips,And softly parting clusters of jet curlsTo bathe his brow. At last the fane was reach’d,The earth’s one sanctuary--and rapture hush’dHer bosom, as before her, through the day,It rose, a mountain of white marble, steep’dIn light like floating gold. But when that hourWaned to the farewell moment, when the boyLifted, through rainbow-gleaming tears, his eyeBeseechingly to hers, and half in fear,Turn’d from the white-robed priest, and round her armClung even as joy clings--the deep spring-tideOf nature then swell’d high, and o’er her childBending, her soul broke forth in mingled soundsOf weeping and sad song. “Alas!” she cried,--

“Alas! my boy, thy gentle grasp is on me,The bright tears quiver in thy pleading eyes;And now fond thoughts arise,And silver cords again to earth have won me,And like a vine thou claspest my full heart--How shall I hence depart?

“How the lone paths retrace where thou wert playingSo late, along the mountains, at my side?And I, in joyous pride,By every place of flowers my course delaying,Wove, e’en as pearls, the lilies round thy hair,Beholding thee so fair!

“And, oh! the home whence thy bright smile hath parted,Will it not seem as if the sunny dayTurn’d from its door away?While through its chambers wandering, weary-hearted,I languish for thy voice, which past me stillWent like a singing rill?

“Under the palm-trees thou no more shalt meet me,When from the fount at evening I return,With the full water-urn;Nor will thy sleep’s low dove-like breathings greet me,As midst the silence of the stars I wake,And watch for thy dear sake.

“And thou, will slumber’s dewy cloud fall round thee,Without thy mother’s hand to smooth thy bed?Wilt thou not vainly spreadThine arms, when darkness as a veil hath wound thee,To fold my neck, and lift up, in thy fear,A cry which none shall hear?

“What have I said, my child! Will He not hear thee,Who the young ravens heareth from their nest?Shall He not guard thy rest,And, in the hush of holy midnight near thee,Breathe o’er thy soul, and fill its dreams with joy?Thou shalt sleep soft, my boy.

“I give thee to thy God--the God that gave thee,A well-spring of deep gladness to my heart!And, precious as thou art,And pure as dew of Hermon, He shall have thee,My own, my beautiful, my undefiled!And thou shalt be His child.

“Therefore, farewell! I go--my soul may fail me,As the hart panteth for the water brooks,Yearning for thy sweet looks.But thou, my first-born, droop not, nor bewail me;Thou in the Shadow of the Rock shalt dwell,The Rock of Strength.--Farewell!”