Rezon: Tsarpi!
TSARPI:The mistress of the house of NaamanSalutes the master of the House of Rimmon.
REZON:Rimmon receives you with his star of peace,For you were once a handmaid of his altar.
And now the keeper of his temple asksThe welcome of the woman for the man.
No more,--till I have heard what brings you hereBy night, within the garden of the oneWho scorns you most and fears you least in allDamascus.
REZON:Trust me, I repay his scornWith double hatred,--Naaman, the manWho stands against the nobles and the priests,This powerful fool, this impious devoteeOf liberty, who loves the people moreThan he reveres the city's ancient god:This frigid husband who sets you belowHis dream of duty to a horde of slaves:This man I hate, and I will humble him.
TSARPI:I think I hate him too. He stands apartFrom me, ev'n while he holds me in his arms,By something that I cannot understand.He swears he loves his wife next to his honour!Next? That's too low! I will be first or nothing.
REZON:With me you are the first, the absolute!When you and I have triumphed you shall reign;And you and I will bring this hero down.
TSARPI:But how? For he is strong.
REZON:By this, the handOf Tsarpi; and by this, the rod of Rimmon.
TSARPI:Your plan?
REZON:You know the host of NinevehIs marching now against us. Envoys comeTo bid us yield before a hopeless war.Our king is weak: the nobles, being rich,Would purchase peace to make them richer still:Only the people and the soldiers, ledBy Naaman, would fight for liberty.Blind fools! To-day the envoys came to me,And talked with me in secret. Promises,Great promises! For every noble houseThat urges peace, a noble recompense:The King, submissive, kept in royal stateAnd splendour: most of all, honour and wealthShall crown the House of Rimmon, and his priest,--Yea, and his priestess! For we two will riseUpon the city's fall. The common folkShall suffer; Naaman shall sink with themIn wreck; but I shall rise, and you shall riseAbove me! You shall climb, through incense-smoke,And days of pomp, and nights of revelry,Unto the topmost room in Rimmon's tower,The secret, lofty room, the couch of bliss,And the divine embraces of the god.
TSARPI:All, all I wish! What must I do for this?
REZON:Turn Naaman away from thoughts of war.
TSARPI:But if I fail? His will is proof againstThe lure of kisses and the wile of tears.
REZON:Where woman fails, woman and priest succeed.Before the King decides, he must consultThe oracle of Rimmon. This my handsPrepare,--and you shall read the signs preparedIn words of fear to melt the brazen heartOf Naaman.
TSARPI:But if it flame instead?
REZON:I know a way to quench that flame. The cup,The parting cup your hand shall give to him!What if the curse of Rimmon should infectThat sacred wine with poison, secretlyTo work within his veins, week after weekCorrupting all the currents of his blood,Dimming his eyes, wasting his flesh? What then?Would he prevail in war? Would he come backTo glory, or to shame? What think you?
TSARPI:I?--I do not think; I only do my part.But can the gods bless this?
REZON:The gods can blessWhatever they decree; their will makes right;And this is for the glory of the HouseOf Rimmon,--and for thee, my queen. Come, come!The night grows dark: we'll perfect our alliance.
the shadows of the garden. RUAHMAH, who has beensleeping in the arbour, has been awakened duringthe dialogue, and has been dimly visible in herwhite dress, behind the vines. She parts them andcomes out, pushing back her long, dark hair from
RUAHMAH:What have I heard? O God, what shame is thisPlotted beneath Thy pure and silent stars!Was it for this that I was brought awayA captive from the hills of IsraelTo serve the heathen in a land of lies?Ah, treacherous, shameful priest! Ah, shameless wifeOf one too noble to suspect thy guilt!The very greatness of his generous heartBetrays him to their hands. What can I do!Nothing,--a slave,--hated and mocked by allMy fellow-slaves! O bitter prison-life!I smother in this black, betraying airOf lust and luxury; I faint beneathThe shadow of this House of Rimmon. GodHave mercy! Lead me out to Israel.To Israel!
doors fly open and a flood of men and women,dancers, players, flushed with wine, dishevelled,pour down the steps, KHAMMA and NUBTA with them.They crown the image with roses and dance aroundit. RUAHMAH is discovered crouching beside the
NUBTA:Look! Here's the Hebrew maid,--She's homesick; let us comfort her!
KHAMMA:Yes, dancing is the cure for homesickness.We'll make her dance.
RUAHMAH:I pray you, let me go!I cannot dance, I do not know your measures.
KHAMMA:Then sing for us,--a song of Israel!
RUAHMAH:How can I sing the songs of IsraelIn this strange country? O my heart would break!
A SERVANT:A stubborn and unfriendly maid! We'll whip her.
NUBTA:Look, look! She kneels to Rimmon, she is tamed.
RUAHMAH:Nay, not to this dumb idol, but to HimWho made Orion and the seven stars!
ALL:She raves,--she mocks at Rimmon! Punish her!The fountain! Wash her blasphemy away!
shouting. In the open door of the palace NAAMANappears, dressed in blue and silver, bareheadedand unarmed. He comes to the top of the steps
NAAMAN:Silence! What drunken rout is this? Begone,Ye barking dogs and mewing cats! Out, all!Poor child, what have they done to thee?
RUAHMAH:Nothing,My lord and master! They have harmed me not.
NAAMAN:Dost call this nothing?
RUAHMAH:Since my lord is come!
NAAMAN:I do not know thy face,--who art thou, child?
RUAHMAH:The handmaid of thy wife.
NAAMAN:Whence comest thou?Thy voice is like thy mistress, but thy looksHave something foreign. Tell thy name, thy land.
RUAHMAH:Ruahmah is my name, a captive maid,The daughter of a prince in Israel,Where once, in olden days, I saw my lordRide through our highlands, when SamariaWas allied with Damascus to defeatOur common foe.
NAAMAN:And thou rememberest this?
RUAHMAH:As clear as yesterday! Master, I sawThee riding on a snow-white horse besideOur king; and all we joyful little maidsStrewed boughs of palm along the victors' way,For you had driven out the enemy,Broken; and both our lands were friends and free.
NAAMAN:Well, they are past, those noble days! The daysWhen nations would imperil all to keepTheir liberties, are only memories now.The common cause is lost,--and thou art brought,The captive of some mercenary raid,Some skirmish of a gold-begotten war,To serve within my house. Dost thou fare well?
RUAHMAH:Master, thou seest.
NAAMAN:Yes, I see! My child,Why do they hate thee so?
RUAHMAH:I do not know,Unless because I will not bow to Rimmon.
NAAMAN:Thou needest not. I fear he is a godWho pities not his people, will not save.My heart is sick with doubt of him. But thouShalt hold thy faith,--I care not what it is,--Worship thy god; but keep thy spirit free.
Here, take this chain and wear it with my seal,None shall molest the maid who carries this.Thou hast found favour in thy master's eyes;Hast thou no other gift to ask of me?
RUAHMAH:My lord, I do entreat thee not to goTo-morrow to the council. Seek the KingAnd speak with him in secret; but avoidThe audience-hall.
NAAMAN:Why, what is this? Thy witsAre wandering. My honour is engagedTo speak for war, to lead in war againstThe Assyrian Bull and save Damascus.
RUAHMAH:Then, lord, if thou must go, I pray thee speak,--I know not how,--but so that all must hear.With magic of unanswerable wordsPersuade thy foes. Yet watch,--beware,--
NAAMAN:Of what?
RUAHMAH:I am entangled in my speech,--no light,--How shall I tell him? He will not believe.O my dear lord, thine enemies are theyOf thine own house. I pray thee to beware,--Beware,--of Rimmon!
NAAMAN:Child, thy words are wild:Thy troubles have bewildered all thy brain.Go, now, and fret no more; but sleep, and dreamOf Israel! For thou shalt see thy homeAmong the hills again.
RUAHMAH:Master, good-night.And may thy slumber be as sweet and deepAs if thou camped at snowy Hermon's foot,Amid the music of his waterfalls.There friendly oak-trees bend their boughs aboveThe weary head, pillowed on earth's kind breast,And unpolluted breezes lightly breatheA song of sleep among the murmuring leaves.There the big stars draw nearer, and the sunLooks forth serene, undimmed by city's mirkOr smoke of idol-temples, to beholdThe waking wonder of the wide-spread world.There life renews itself with every mornIn purest joy of living. May the LordDeliver thee, dear master, from the netsLaid for thy feet, and lead thee out alongThe open path, beneath the open sky!
IZDUBHAR:The city is all in a turmoil. It boils like a pot of lentils.The people are foaming and bubbling round and round likebeans in the pottage.
HAZAEL:Fear is a hot fire.
RAKHAZ:Well may they fear, for the Assyrians are not three daysdistant. They are blazing along like a waterspout tochop Damascus down like a pitcher of spilt milk.
SABALLIDIN:Cannot Naaman drive them back?
RAKHAZ:Ho! Naaman? Where have you been living? Naaman is a brokenreed whose claws have been cut. Build no hopes on thatfoundation, for it will run away and leave you all adriftin the conflagration.
SABALLIDIN:He clatters like a windmill. What would he say, Hazael?
HAZAEL:Naaman can do nothing without the command of the King; andthe King fears to order the army to march without theapproval of the gods. The High Priest is against it. TheHouse of Rimmon is for peace with Asshur.
RAKHAZ:Yes, and all the nobles are for peace. We are the men whosewisdom lights the rudder that upholds the chariot of state.Would we be rich if we were not wise? Do we not know betterthan the rabble what medicine will silence this fire thatthreatens to drown us?
IZDUBHAR:But if the Assyrians come, we shall all perish; they willdespoil us all.
HAZAEL:Not us, my lord, only the common people. The envoys haveoffered favourable terms to the priests, and the nobles,and the King. No palace, no temple, shall be plundered.Only the shops, and the markets, and the houses of themultitude shall be given up to the Bull. He will eathis supper from the pot of lentils, not from our goldenplate.
RAKHAZ:Yes, and all who speak for peace in the council shall beenriched; our heads shall be crowned with seats of honourin the procession of the Assyrian king. He needs wisecounsellors to help him guide the ship of empire onto thesolid rock of prosperity. You must be with us, my lordsIzdubhar and Saballidin, and let the stars of your wisdomroar loudly for peace.
IZDUBHAR:He talks like a tablet read upside down,--a wild ass brayingin the wilderness. Yet there is policy in his words.
SABALLIDIN:I know not. Can a kingdom live without a people or an army?If we let the Bull in to sup on the lentils, will he notmake his breakfast in our vineyards?
jester, in blue, green and red, a wreath of poppiesaround his neck and a flagon in his hand. He walks
HAZAEL:Here is Shumakim, the King's fool, with his legs full oflast night's wine.
RAKHAZ:Am I a statesman? I felt something of the kind about me.But what is a statesman?
SHUMAKIM:A politician that is stuffed with big words; a fat man in amask; one that plays a solemn tune on a sackbut full o' wind.
HAZAEL:And what is a politician?
SHUMAKIM:A statesman that has dropped his mask and cracked his sackbut.Men trust him for what he is, and he never deceives them,because he always lies.
IZDUBHAR:Why do you call me a patriot?
SHUMAKIM:Because you know what is good for you; you love your countryas you love your pelf. You feel for the common people,--asthe wolf feels for the sheep.
SABALLIDIN:And what am I?
SHUMAKIM:A fool, master, just a plain fool; and there is hope of theefor that reason. Embrace me, brother, and taste this; butnot too much,--it will intoxicate thee with sobriety.
soldiers; a crowd of people begin to come up the stepsat the rear, where they are halted by a chain guardedby servants of the palace. A bell tolls; the royal dooris thrown open; the aged King totters across the halland takes his seat on the throne with the four tallsentinels standing behind him. All bow down shading
BENHADAD:The hour of royal audience is come.I'll hear the envoys. Are my counsellorsAt hand? Where are the priests of Rimmon's house?
BENHADAD:Where is my faithful servant Naaman,The captain of my host?
NAAMAN:My lord the King,The bearer of thy sword is here.
Welcome,My strong right arm that never me failed yet!I am in doubt,--but stay thou close to meWhile I decide this cause. Where are the envoys?Let them appear and give their message.
in red; both with the golden Bull's head embroideredon their robes. They come from the right, rear, bowslightly before the throne, and take the centre of
WHITE ENVOY:Greeting from Shalmaneser, Asshur's son,Who rules the world from Nineveh,Unto Benhadad, monarch in Damascus!The conquering Bull has led his army forth;The south has fallen before him, and the westHis feet have trodden; Hamath is laid waste;He pauses at your gate, invincible,--To offer peace. The princes of your court,The priests of Rimmon's house, and you, the King,If you pay homage to your Overlord,Shall rest secure, and flourish as our friends.Assyria sends to you this gilded yoke;Receive it as the sign of proffered peace.
BENHADAD:What of the city? Said your king no wordOf our Damascus, and the many folkThat do inhabit her and make her great?What of the soldiers who have fought for us?
WHITE ENVOY:Of these my royal master did not speak.
BENHADAD:Strange silence! Must we give them up to him?Is this the price at which he offers usThe yoke of peace? What if we do refuse?
RED ENVOY:Then ruthless war! War to the uttermost.No quarter, no compassion, no escape!The Bull will gore and trample in his furyNobles and priests and king,--none shall be spared!Before the throne we lay our second gift;This bloody horn, the symbol of red war.
WHITE ENVOY:Our message is delivered. We returnUnto our master. He will wait three daysTo know your royal choice between his gifts.Keep which you will and send the other back.The red bull's horn your youngest page may bring;But with the yoke, best send your mightiest army!
BENHADAD:Proud words, a bitter message, hard to endure!We are not now that force which feared no foe:Our old allies have left us. Can we face the BullAlone, and beat him back? Give me your counsel.
What babblement is this? Were ye born at Babel?Give me clear words and reasonable speech.
RAKHAZ:O King, I am a reasonable man!And there be some who call me very wiseAnd prudent; but of this I will not speak,For I am also modest. Let me plead,Persuade, and reason you to choose for peace.This golden yoke may be a bitter draught,But better far to fold it in our arms,Than risk our cargoes in the savage hornOf war. Shall we imperil all our wealth,Our valuable lives? Nobles are few,Rich men are rare, and wise men rarer still;The precious jewels on the tree of life,Wherein the common people are but bricksAnd clay and rubble. Let the city go,But save the corner-stones that float the ship!Have I not spoken well?
BENHADAD:Excellent well!Most eloquent! But misty in the meaning.
HAZAEL:Then let me speak, O King, in plainer words!The days of independent states are past:The tide of empire sweeps across the earth;Assyria rides it with resistless powerAnd thunders on to subjugate the world.Oppose her, and we fight with Destiny;Submit to her demands, and we shall rideWith her to victory. Therefore acceptThe golden yoke, Assyria's gift of peace.
NAAMAN:There is no peace beneath a conqueror's yoke!For every state that barters libertyTo win imperial favour, shall be drainedOf her best blood, henceforth, in endless warsTo make the empire greater. Here's the choice,My King, we fight to keep our country free,Or else we fight forevermore to helpAssyria bind the world as we are bound.I am a soldier, and I know the hellOf war! But I will gladly ride through hellTo save Damascus. Master, bid me ride!Ten thousand chariots wait for your command;And twenty thousand horsemen strain the leashOf patience till you let them go; a throngOf spearmen, archers, swordsmen, like the seaChafing against a dike, roar for the onset!O master, let me launch your mighty hostAgainst the Bull,--we'll bring him to his knees!
"peace!" from the courtiers and the priests. TheKing rises, turning toward NAAMAN, and seems about
REZON:Shall not the gods decide when mortals doubt?Rimmon is master of the city's fate;We read his will, by our most ancient-faith,In omens and in signs of mystery.Must we not hearken to his high commands?
I am the faithful son of Rimmon's House.Consult the oracle. But who shall read?
REZON:Tsarpi, the wife of Naaman, who servedWithin the temple in her maiden years,Shall be the mouth-piece of the mighty god,To-day's high-priestess. Bring the sacrifice!
an altar on which a lamb is bound. The altar isplaced in the centre of the hall. TSARPI followsthe priests, covered with a long transparent veilof black, sown with gold stars; RUAHMAH, in white,bears her train. TSARPI stands before the altar,facing it, and lifts her right hand holding aknife. RUAHMAH steps back, near the throne, herhands crossed on her breast, her head bowed. Thepriests close in around TSARPI and the altar. Theknife is seen to strike downward. Gongs and cymbalssound: cries of "Rimmon, hear us!" The circle ofpriests opens, and TSARPI turns slowly to face the
TSARPI:Black is the blood of the victim,Rimmon is unfavourable,Asratu is unfavourable;They will not war against Asshur,They will make a league with the God of Nineveh.Evil is in store for Damascus,A strong enemy will lay waste the land.Therefore make peace with the Bull;Hearken to the voice of Rimmon.
in around her. REZON lifts his rod toward the towerof the temple. A flash of lightning followed bythunder; smoke rises from the altar; all exceptNAAMAN and RUAHMAH cover their faces. The circleof priests opens again, and TSARPI comes forward
Words in this poem 62
- handmaid n.
- A maid that waits at hand; a female servant or attendant.
- horde n.
- A wandering troop or gang; especially, a clan or tribe of a nomadic people migrating from place to place for the sake of pasturage, plunder, etc.; a predatory multitude. Thomson. [F. horde (cf. G. horde), fr. Turk. ord, ordi, camp; of Tartar origin.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- splendour n.
- Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- priestess n.
- A woman who officiated in sacred rites among pagans. Abp.
- folk n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- wile n.
- A trick or stratagem practiced for insnaring or deception; a sly, insidious; artifice; a beguilement; an allurement. [OE. wile, AS. wil; cf. Icel. v, væl. Cf. Guile.]
- consult n.
- The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision.
- oracle v. i.
- To utter oracles.
- arbour n.
- A kind of latticework formed of, or covered with, vines, branches of trees, or other plants, for shade; a bower. Sir P. [OE. herber, herbere, properly a garden of herbs, F. herbier, fr. L. herbarium. See Herb, and cf. Herbarium.]
- dimly adv.
- In a dim or obscure manner; not brightly or clearly; with imperfect sight.
- generous a.
- Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [F. généreux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]
- lust v. i.
- To list; to like. [AS. lystan. See Lust, n., and cf. List to choose.]
- homesick a.
- Pining for home; in a nostalgic condition.
- idol n.
- An image or representation of anything. [OE. idole, F. idole, L. idolum, fr. Gr. Wit, and cf. Eidolon.]
- orion n.
- A large and bright constellation on the equator, between the stars Aldebaran and Sirius. It contains a remarkable nebula visible to the naked eye.
- bareheaded a.
- Having the head uncovered; as, a bareheaded girl.
- unarmed a.
- Not armed or armored; having no arms or weapons. [Pref. un- not + armed.]
- olden a.
- Old; ancient; as, the olden time.
- defeat v. t.
- To undo; to disfigure; to destroy. [From F. défait, OF. desfait, p. p. ofe défaire, OF. desfaire, to undo; L. dis- + facere to do. See Feat, Fact, and cf. Disfashion.]
- imperil v. t.
- To bring into peril; to endanger.
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- molest v. t.
- To trouble; to disturb; to render uneasy; to interfere with; to vex. [F. molester, L. molestare, fr. molestus troublesome, fr. moles a heavy mass, load, burden. See 3d Mole.]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- entreat v. t.
- To treat, or conduct toward; to deal with; to use. [OE. entreten to treat, request, OF. entraiter to treat of; pref. en- (L. in) + traitier to treat. See Treat.]
- avoid v. t.
- To empty. Wyclif. [OF. esvuidier, es (L. ex) + vuidier, voidier, to empty. See Void, a.]
- unanswerable a.
- Not answerable; irrefutable; conclusive; decisive; as, he have an unanswerable argument.
- beware v. t.
- To avoid; to take care of; to have a care for.
- snowy a.
- White like snow.
- amid prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- pillowed a.
- Provided with a pillow or pillows; having the head resting on, or as on, a pillow.
- mirk a.
- Dark; gloomy; murky. Spenser. Mrs. Browning. [See Murky.]
- morn n.
- The first part of the day; the morning; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. morwen, morgen, AS. morgen; akin to D. morgen, OS. morgan, G. morgen, Icel. morginn, morgunn, Sw. morgon, Dan. morgen, Goth. maúrgins. Cf. Morrow, Morning.]
- turmoil v. t.
- To harass with commotion; to disquiet; to worry.
- waterspout n.
- A remarkable meteorological phenomenon, of the nature of a tornado or whirlwind, usually observed over the sea, but sometimes over the land.
- adrift adv.
- Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig. [Pref. a- (for on) + drift.]
- conflagration n.
- A fire extending to many objects, or over a large space; a general burning.
- windmill n.
- A mill operated by the power of the wind, usually by the action of the wind upon oblique vanes or sails which radiate from a horizontal shaft.
- despoil v. t.
- To strip, as of clothing; to divest or unclothe. [OF. despoiller, F. dépouiller, L. despoliare, despoliatum; de- + spoliare to strip, rob, spolium spoil, booty. Cf. Spoil, Despoliation.]
- needs adv.
- Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
- onto prep.
- On the top of; upon; on. See On to, under On, prep. [On + to. Cf. Into.]
- braying a.
- Making a harsh noise; blaring.
- flagon n.
- A vessel with a narrow mouth, used for holding and conveying liquors. It is generally larger than a bottle, and of leather or stoneware rather than of glass. [F. flacon, for flascon, fr. OF. flasche, from LL. flasco. See Flask.]
- sackbut n.
- A brass wind instrument, like a bass trumpet, so contrived that it can be lengthened or shortened according to the tone required; -- said to be the same as the trombone. Moore (Encyc. of Music). [F. saquebute, OF. saqueboute a sackbut. earlier, a sort of hook attached to the end of a lance used by foot soldiers to unhorse cavalrymen; prop. meaning, pull ]
- cracked a.
- Coarsely ground or broken; as, cracked wheat.
- pelf n.
- Money; riches; lucre; gain; -- generally conveying the idea of something ill-gotten or worthless. It has no plural. [OE. pelfir booty, OF. pelfre, akin to pelfrer to plunder, and perh. to E. pillage. Cf. Pilfer.]
- intoxicate v. t.
- To poison; to drug. South.
- sobriety n.
- Habitual soberness or temperance as to the use of spirituous liquors; as, a man of sobriety. [L. sobrietas: cf. F. sobriété. See Sober.]
- centre v. i.
- To be placed in a center; to be central.
- overlord n.
- One who is lord over another or others; a superior lord; a master. Freeman.
- ruthless a.
- Having no ruth; cruel; pitiless.
- uttermost a.
- Extreme; utmost; being; in the farthest, greatest, or highest degree; as, the uttermost extent or end. [From Utter, a.; cf. Utmost, and Outermost.]
- babblement n.
- Babble. Hawthorne.
- babel n.
- The city and tower in the land of Shinar, where the confusion of languages took place. [Heb. Babel, the name of the capital of Babylonia; in Genesis associated with the idea of "confusion"]
- rubble n.
- Water-worn or rough broken stones; broken bricks, etc., used in coarse masonry, or to fill up between the facing courses of walls. [From an assumed Old French dim. of robe See Rubbish.]
- resistless a.
- Having no power to resist; making no opposition.
- subjugate v. t.
- To subdue, and bring under the yoke of power or dominion; to conquer by force, and compel to submit to the government or absolute control of another; to vanquish. [L. subjugatus, p.p. of subjugare to subjugate; sub under + jugum a yoke. See Yoke.]
- henceforth adv.
- From this time forward; henceforward.
- gladly adv.
- Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Rezon: Tsarpi! is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Henry Van Dyke, Project Gutenberg ebook #16229; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Henry Van Dyke, Rezon: Tsarpi!, in The Poems of Henry Van Dyke (1925), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #16229, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/van-dyke-poems/rezon-tsarpi.html, id L22985.
Form and metre
Rezon: Tsarpi! is 507 lines in 103 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%).
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 9 A-A rezonA · hand · rimmonA
- 11 --A------------BCABC---- rezon · nineveh · comeA · war · rich · still · led · liberty · me · promises · house · recompense · state · wealth · priest · riseB · folkC · themA · riseB · smokeC · revelry · tower · bliss · god
- 21 ----A-B----B---AA ruahmah · this · stars · away · israelA · lies · wifeB · guilt · heart · do · all · lifeB · air · beneath · god · israelA · israelA
- 51 --A-A ruahmah · speak · hearA · words · bewareA
- 54 --A--A naaman · wild · brainA · dream · home · againA
- 62 --AA- hazael · and · theA · theA · asshur
- 66 -A--A--- rakhaz · beA · honour · wise · theA · lords · wisdom · peace
- 79 ---AA- steps · guarded · door · hallA · tallA · shading
- 91 ---AA benhadad · endure · foe · bullA · counselA
- 96 ------A--BB----A--- naaman · yoke · liberty · drained · wars · choice · freeA · help · bound · hellB · hellB · ride · command · leash · throng · seaA · onset · host · knees
- 101 AA---B-BB--B isA · followsA · veil · white · altar · aB · her · theB · theB · cymbals · of · theB
- 102 --AA------ tsarpi · victim · unfavourableA · unfavourableA · asshur · nineveh · damascus · land · bull · rimmon
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| The mistress of the house of Naaman | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| Salutes the master of the House of Rimmon. | 11 | ˘/·/˘······ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| Rimmon receives you with his star of peace, | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| For you were once a handmaid of his altar. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| And now the keeper of his temple asks | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| The welcome of the woman for the man. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| No more,--till I have heard what brings you here | 10 | ·········· |
| By night, within the garden of the one | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Who scorns you most and fears you least in all | 10 | ·········· |
| Damascus. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| Trust me, I repay his scorn | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| With double hatred,--Naaman, the man | 10 | ·/˘/˘˘···· |
| Who stands against the nobles and the priests, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| This powerful fool, this impious devotee | 11 | ·/˘··˘/˘·˘/ |
| Of liberty, who loves the people more | 10 | ·/˘˘···/˘· |
| Than he reveres the city's ancient god: | 10 | ··˘/·/˘/˘· |
| This frigid husband who sets you below | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| His dream of duty to a horde of slaves: | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| This man I hate, and I will humble him. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| I think I hate him too. He stands apart | 10 | ········˘/ |
| From me, ev'n while he holds me in his arms, | 10 | ·········· |
| By something that I cannot understand. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| He swears he loves his wife next to his honour! | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| Next? That's too low! I will be first or nothing. | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| With me you are the first, the absolute! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| When you and I have triumphed you shall reign; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And you and I will bring this hero down. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| But how? For he is strong. | 6 | ······ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| By this, the hand | 4 | ···· |
| Of Tsarpi; and by this, the rod of Rimmon. | 11 | ··········· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| Your plan? | 2 | ·· |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| You know the host of Nineveh | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Is marching now against us. Envoys come | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| To bid us yield before a hopeless war. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Our king is weak: the nobles, being rich, | 10 | /····/˘/˘· |
| Would purchase peace to make them richer still: | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Only the people and the soldiers, led | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘· |
| By Naaman, would fight for liberty. | 9 | ······/˘˘ |
| Blind fools! To-day the envoys came to me, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And talked with me in secret. Promises, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Great promises! For every noble house | 10 | ·/˘˘·/˘/˘· |
| That urges peace, a noble recompense: | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| The King, submissive, kept in royal state | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| And splendour: most of all, honour and wealth | 10 | ·/˘···/˘·· |
| Shall crown the House of Rimmon, and his priest,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| Yea, and his priestess! For we two will rise | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Upon the city's fall. The common folk | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Shall suffer; Naaman shall sink with them | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| In wreck; but I shall rise, and you shall rise | 10 | ·········· |
| Above me! You shall climb, through incense-smoke, | 10 | ·······˘/· |
| And days of pomp, and nights of revelry, | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Unto the topmost room in Rimmon's tower, | 11 | ···/˘····/˘ |
| The secret, lofty room, the couch of bliss, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| And the divine embraces of the god. | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| All, all I wish! What must I do for this? | 10 | ·········· |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| Turn Naaman away from thoughts of war. | 9 | ···˘/···· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| But if I fail? His will is proof against | 10 | ·········· |
| The lure of kisses and the wile of tears. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| Where woman fails, woman and priest succeed. | 10 | ·/˘·/˘··˘/ |
| Before the King decides, he must consult | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| The oracle of Rimmon. This my hands | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Prepare,--and you shall read the signs prepared | 10 | ˘/······˘/ |
| In words of fear to melt the brazen heart | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Of Naaman. | 3 | ··· |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| But if it flame instead? | 6 | ····˘/ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| I know a way to quench that flame. The cup, | 10 | ·········· |
| The parting cup your hand shall give to him! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| What if the curse of Rimmon should infect | 10 | ········˘/ |
| That sacred wine with poison, secretly | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘˘ |
| To work within his veins, week after week | 10 | ·········· |
| Corrupting all the currents of his blood, | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Dimming his eyes, wasting his flesh? What then? | 10 | /˘··/˘···· |
| Would he prevail in war? Would he come back | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| To glory, or to shame? What think you? | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| TSARPI: | 2 | ·· |
| I?-- | 1 | · |
| I do not think; I only do my part. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| But can the gods bless this? | 6 | ······ |
| REZON: | 2 | ·· |
| The gods can bless | 4 | ···· |
| Whatever they decree; their will makes right; | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| And this is for the glory of the House | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Of Rimmon,--and for thee, my queen. Come, come! | 10 | ·········· |
| The night grows dark: we'll perfect our alliance. | 11 | ·····/·/˘/˘ |
| the shadows of the garden. RUAHMAH, who has been | 12 | ·/···/˘····· |
| sleeping in the arbour, has been awakened during | 13 | /˘··/˘··˘/˘/˘ |
| the dialogue, and has been dimly visible in her | 13 | ·/˘····/˘/˘·· |
| white dress, behind the vines. She parts them and | 10 | ·········· |
| comes out, pushing back her long, dark hair from | 10 | ··/˘······ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| What have I heard? O God, what shame is this | 10 | ·········· |
| Plotted beneath Thy pure and silent stars! | 10 | /˘·····/˘· |
| Was it for this that I was brought away | 10 | ········˘/ |
| A captive from the hills of Israel | 10 | ·/˘····/˘˘ |
| To serve the heathen in a land of lies? | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Ah, treacherous, shameful priest! Ah, shameless wife | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Of one too noble to suspect thy guilt! | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| The very greatness of his generous heart | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Betrays him to their hands. What can I do! | 10 | ˘/········ |
| Nothing,--a slave,--hated and mocked by all | 10 | /˘··/˘···· |
| My fellow-slaves! O bitter prison-life! | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| I smother in this black, betraying air | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| Of lust and luxury; I faint beneath | 10 | ···/˘˘···· |
| The shadow of this House of Rimmon. God | 10 | ·/········ |
| Have mercy! Lead me out to Israel. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘˘ |
| To Israel! | 4 | ·/˘˘ |
| doors fly open and a flood of men and women, | 12 | ··/˘······/˘ |
| dancers, players, flushed with wine, dishevelled, | 10 | /˘/˘···˘/˘ |
| pour down the steps, KHAMMA and NUBTA with them. | 11 | ··········· |
| They crown the image with roses and dance around | 12 | ···/˘·/˘···· |
| it. RUAHMAH is discovered crouching beside the | 12 | ····˘/˘/˘·/· |
| NUBTA: | 2 | ·· |
| Look! Here's the Hebrew maid,-- | 6 | ···/˘· |
| She's homesick; let us comfort her! | 8 | ·/···/˘· |
| KHAMMA: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, dancing is the cure for homesickness. | 10 | ·/˘····/·˘ |
| We'll make her dance. | 4 | ···· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| I pray you, let me go! | 6 | ······ |
| I cannot dance, I do not know your measures. | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| KHAMMA: | 2 | ·· |
| Then sing for us,--a song of Israel! | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| How can I sing the songs of Israel | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| In this strange country? O my heart would break! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| A SERVANT: | 3 | ·/˘ |
| A stubborn and unfriendly maid! We'll whip her. | 11 | ·/˘·˘/˘···· |
| NUBTA: | 2 | ·· |
| Look, look! She kneels to Rimmon, she is tamed. | 10 | ·········· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Nay, not to this dumb idol, but to Him | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Who made Orion and the seven stars! | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| ALL: | 1 | · |
| She raves,--she mocks at Rimmon! Punish her! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The fountain! Wash her blasphemy away! | 10 | ·/˘··/˘˘˘/ |
| shouting. In the open door of the palace NAAMAN | 13 | /˘··/˘···/˘·· |
| appears, dressed in blue and silver, bareheaded | 12 | ˘/····/˘···· |
| and unarmed. He comes to the top of the steps | 11 | ·˘/········ |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Silence! What drunken rout is this? Begone, | 10 | /˘·/˘···˘/ |
| Ye barking dogs and mewing cats! Out, all! | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Poor child, what have they done to thee? | 8 | ········ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Nothing, | 2 | /˘ |
| My lord and master! They have harmed me not. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Dost call this nothing? | 5 | ···/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Since my lord is come! | 5 | ····· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| I do not know thy face,--who art thou, child? | 10 | ·········· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| The handmaid of thy wife. | 6 | ······ |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Whence comest thou? | 4 | ···· |
| Thy voice is like thy mistress, but thy looks | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Have something foreign. Tell thy name, thy land. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Ruahmah is my name, a captive maid, | 9 | ······/˘· |
| The daughter of a prince in Israel, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘˘ |
| Where once, in olden days, I saw my lord | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Ride through our highlands, when Samaria | 11 | ··/˘/˘··˘/˘ |
| Was allied with Damascus to defeat | 10 | ·/··˘/˘·˘/ |
| Our common foe. | 5 | /˘/˘· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| And thou rememberest this? | 7 | ··˘/˘˘· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| As clear as yesterday! Master, I saw | 10 | ···/˘˘/˘·· |
| Thee riding on a snow-white horse beside | 10 | ·/˘·····˘/ |
| Our king; and all we joyful little maids | 10 | /····/˘/˘· |
| Strewed boughs of palm along the victors' way, | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| For you had driven out the enemy, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Broken; and both our lands were friends and free. | 10 | /˘··/····· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Well, they are past, those noble days! The days | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| When nations would imperil all to keep | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Their liberties, are only memories now. | 10 | ·/˘·/˘/˘˘· |
| The common cause is lost,--and thou art brought, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| The captive of some mercenary raid, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘· |
| Some skirmish of a gold-begotten war, | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| To serve within my house. Dost thou fare well? | 10 | ·········· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Master, thou seest. | 4 | /˘·· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, I see! My child, | 5 | ····· |
| Why do they hate thee so? | 6 | ······ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| I do not know, | 4 | ···· |
| Unless because I will not bow to Rimmon. | 11 | ··········· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Thou needest not. I fear he is a god | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Who pities not his people, will not save. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| My heart is sick with doubt of him. But thou | 10 | ·········· |
| Shalt hold thy faith,--I care not what it is,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| Worship thy god; but keep thy spirit free. | 10 | /˘·····/˘· |
| Here, take this chain and wear it with my seal, | 10 | ·········· |
| None shall molest the maid who carries this. | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| Thou hast found favour in thy master's eyes; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Hast thou no other gift to ask of me? | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| My lord, I do entreat thee not to go | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| To-morrow to the council. Seek the King | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| And speak with him in secret; but avoid | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| The audience-hall. | 5 | ·/˘˘· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Why, what is this? Thy wits | 6 | ······ |
| Are wandering. My honour is engaged | 10 | ·/˘˘·/˘·˘/ |
| To speak for war, to lead in war against | 10 | ·········· |
| The Assyrian Bull and save Damascus. | 11 | ·˘/˘˘···˘/˘ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Then, lord, if thou must go, I pray thee speak,-- | 10 | ·········· |
| I know not how,--but so that all must hear. | 10 | ·········· |
| With magic of unanswerable words | 10 | ·/˘···˘˘˘· |
| Persuade thy foes. Yet watch,--beware,-- | 8 | ˘/····˘/ |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Of what? | 2 | ·· |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| I am entangled in my speech,--no light,-- | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| How shall I tell him? He will not believe. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| O my dear lord, thine enemies are they | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| Of thine own house. I pray thee to beware,-- | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Beware,--of Rimmon! | 5 | ˘/··· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| Child, thy words are wild: | 5 | ····· |
| Thy troubles have bewildered all thy brain. | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘··· |
| Go, now, and fret no more; but sleep, and dream | 10 | ·········· |
| Of Israel! For thou shalt see thy home | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Among the hills again. | 6 | ····˘/ |
| RUAHMAH: | 2 | ·· |
| Master, good-night. | 4 | /˘·· |
| And may thy slumber be as sweet and deep | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| As if thou camped at snowy Hermon's foot, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| Amid the music of his waterfalls. | 10 | ˘/·/˘··/˘· |
| There friendly oak-trees bend their boughs above | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| The weary head, pillowed on earth's kind breast, | 10 | ·/˘·/˘···· |
| And unpolluted breezes lightly breathe | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| A song of sleep among the murmuring leaves. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| There the big stars draw nearer, and the sun | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Looks forth serene, undimmed by city's mirk | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| Or smoke of idol-temples, to behold | 10 | ···/˘/˘·˘/ |
| The waking wonder of the wide-spread world. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| There life renews itself with every morn | 10 | ··˘/˘/·/˘· |
| In purest joy of living. May the Lord | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Deliver thee, dear master, from the nets | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Laid for thy feet, and lead thee out along | 10 | ········˘/ |
| The open path, beneath the open sky! | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| IZDUBHAR: | 3 | ··· |
| The city is all in a turmoil. It boils like a pot of lentils. | 17 | ·/˘····/·······/˘ |
| The people are foaming and bubbling round and round like | 13 | ·/˘·/˘·/˘···· |
| beans in the pottage. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| Fear is a hot fire. | 6 | ····/˘ |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Well may they fear, for the Assyrians are not three days | 13 | ······˘/˘···· |
| distant. They are blazing along like a waterspout to | 14 | /˘··/˘˘/··/˘˘· |
| chop Damascus down like a pitcher of spilt milk. | 12 | ·˘/˘···/˘··· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| Cannot Naaman drive them back? | 7 | /˘····· |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Ho! Naaman? Where have you been living? Naaman is a broken | 15 | ·······/˘····/˘ |
| reed whose claws have been cut. Build no hopes on that | 11 | ··········· |
| foundation, for it will run away and leave you all adrift | 15 | ˘/˘····˘/····˘/ |
| in the conflagration. | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| He clatters like a windmill. What would he say, Hazael? | 13 | ·/˘··/······· |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| Naaman can do nothing without the command of the King; and | 15 | ····/˘···˘/···· |
| the King fears to order the army to march without the | 14 | ····/˘·/˘····· |
| approval of the gods. The High Priest is against it. The | 14 | ˘/˘··········· |
| House of Rimmon is for peace with Asshur. | 10 | ·········· |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, and all the nobles are for peace. We are the men whose | 14 | ····/˘········ |
| wisdom lights the rudder that upholds the chariot of state. | 14 | /˘··/˘·˘/·/˘·· |
| Would we be rich if we were not wise? Do we not know better | 15 | ·············/˘ |
| than the rabble what medicine will silence this fire that | 13 | ··/˘·/˘·/˘·/· |
| threatens to drown us? | 5 | /˘··· |
| IZDUBHAR: | 3 | ··· |
| But if the Assyrians come, we shall all perish; they will | 14 | ···˘/˘····/˘·· |
| despoil us all. | 4 | ˘/·· |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| Not us, my lord, only the common people. The envoys have | 15 | ····/˘·/˘/˘·/˘· |
| offered favourable terms to the priests, and the nobles, | 14 | /˘··········/˘ |
| and the King. No palace, no temple, shall be plundered. | 13 | ····/˘·/˘··/˘ |
| Only the shops, and the markets, and the houses of the | 14 | /˘····/˘··/˘·· |
| multitude shall be given up to the Bull. He will eat | 13 | /˘···/······· |
| his supper from the pot of lentils, not from our golden | 14 | ·/˘····/˘··//˘ |
| plate. | 1 | · |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, and all who speak for peace in the council shall be | 13 | ·········/˘·· |
| enriched; our heads shall be crowned with seats of honour | 12 | ˘//·······/˘ |
| in the procession of the Assyrian king. He needs wise | 14 | ··˘/˘··˘/˘···· |
| counsellors to help him guide the ship of empire onto the | 14 | /˘·······/˘/˘· |
| solid rock of prosperity. You must be with us, my lords | 14 | /˘··˘/˘······· |
| Izdubhar and Saballidin, and let the stars of your wisdom | 16 | ··············/˘ |
| roar loudly for peace. | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| IZDUBHAR: | 3 | ··· |
| He talks like a tablet read upside down,--a wild ass braying | 15 | ····/˘·//····/˘ |
| in the wilderness. Yet there is policy in his words. | 12 | ··/˘···/˘··· |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| I know not. Can a kingdom live without a people or an army? | 17 | ·····/˘····/˘··/˘ |
| If we let the Bull in to sup on the lentils, will he not | 15 | ··········/˘··· |
| make his breakfast in our vineyards? | 9 | ··/˘·/˘/˘ |
| jester, in blue, green and red, a wreath of poppies | 12 | /˘········/˘ |
| around his neck and a flagon in his hand. He walks | 13 | ······/˘····· |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| Here is Shumakim, the King's fool, with his legs full of | 13 | ············· |
| last night's wine. | 3 | ··· |
| RAKHAZ: | 2 | ·· |
| Am I a statesman? I felt something of the kind about me. | 15 | ···/˘··/˘······ |
| But what is a statesman? | 6 | ····/˘ |
| SHUMAKIM: | 3 | ··· |
| A politician that is stuffed with big words; a fat man in a | 16 | ··˘/˘··········· |
| mask; one that plays a solemn tune on a sackbut full o' wind. | 15 | ·····/˘···/˘··· |
| HAZAEL: | 2 | ·· |
| And what is a politician? | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| SHUMAKIM: | 3 | ··· |
| A statesman that has dropped his mask and cracked his sackbut. | 13 | ·/˘········/˘ |
| Men trust him for what he is, and he never deceives them, | 13 | ·········/˘/· |
| because he always lies. | 6 | ···/·· |
| IZDUBHAR: | 3 | ··· |
| Why do you call me a patriot? | 9 | ······/˘˘ |
| SHUMAKIM: | 3 | ··· |
| Because you know what is good for you; you love your country | 14 | ············/˘ |
| as you love your pelf. You feel for the common people,--as | 14 | ·········/˘/˘· |
| the wolf feels for the sheep. | 6 | ······ |
| SABALLIDIN: | 4 | ···· |
| And what am I? | 4 | ···· |
| SHUMAKIM: | 3 | ··· |
| A fool, master, just a plain fool; and there is hope of thee | 14 | ··/˘·········· |
| for that reason. Embrace me, brother, and taste this; but | 13 | ··/˘˘/·/˘···· |
| not too much,--it will intoxicate thee with sobriety. | 14 | ·····˘/˘···˘/˘ |
| soldiers; a crowd of people begin to come up the steps | 14 | /˘···/˘˘/····· |
| at the rear, where they are halted by a chain guarded | 13 | ······/˘···/˘ |
| by servants of the palace. A bell tolls; the royal door | 14 | ·/˘··/˘····/˘· |
| is thrown open; the aged King totters across the hall | 13 | ··/˘···/˘˘/·· |
| and takes his seat on the throne with the four tall | 11 | ··········· |
| sentinels standing behind him. All bow down shading | 12 | /˘/˘······/˘ |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| The hour of royal audience is come. | 10 | ·/·/˘/˘˘·· |
| I'll hear the envoys. Are my counsellors | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| At hand? Where are the priests of Rimmon's house? | 10 | ·········· |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| Where is my faithful servant Naaman, | 9 | ···/˘/˘·· |
| The captain of my host? | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| NAAMAN: | 2 | ·· |
| My lord the King, | 4 | ···· |
| The bearer of thy sword is here. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Welcome, | 2 | /˘ |
| My strong right arm that never me failed yet! | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| I am in doubt,--but stay thou close to me | 10 | ·········· |
| While I decide this cause. Where are the envoys? | 11 | ··˘/·····/˘ |
| Let them appear and give their message. | 9 | ··˘/···/˘ |
| in red; both with the golden Bull's head embroidered | 12 | ·····/˘··˘/˘ |
| on their robes. They come from the right, rear, bow | 10 | ·········· |
| slightly before the throne, and take the centre of | 12 | /˘·······/˘· |
| WHITE ENVOY: | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Greeting from Shalmaneser, Asshur's son, | 10 | /˘········ |
| Who rules the world from Nineveh, | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Unto Benhadad, monarch in Damascus! | 11 | ·····/··˘/˘ |
| The conquering Bull has led his army forth; | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| The south has fallen before him, and the west | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| His feet have trodden; Hamath is laid waste; | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| He pauses at your gate, invincible,-- | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘˘ |
| To offer peace. The princes of your court, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| The priests of Rimmon's house, and you, the King, | 10 | ·········· |
| If you pay homage to your Overlord, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Shall rest secure, and flourish as our friends. | 10 | ··˘/·/˘·/· |
| Assyria sends to you this gilded yoke; | 10 | ˘/˘····/˘· |
| Receive it as the sign of proffered peace. | 10 | ˘/·····/˘· |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| What of the city? Said your king no word | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Of our Damascus, and the many folk | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| That do inhabit her and make her great? | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| What of the soldiers who have fought for us? | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| WHITE ENVOY: | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Of these my royal master did not speak. | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| BENHADAD: | 3 | ··· |
| Strange silence! Must we give them up to him? | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Is this the price at which he offers us | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The yoke of peace? What if we do refuse? | 10 | ········˘/ |
| RED ENVOY: | 3 | ·/˘ |
| Then ruthless war! War to the uttermost. | 10 | ·/˘····/˘˘ |
| No quarter, no compassion, no escape! | 10 | ·/˘·˘/˘·˘/ |
| The Bull will gore and trample in his fury | 11 | ·····/˘··/˘ |
| Nobles and priests and king,--none shall be spared! | 10 | /˘········ |
The first 400 of 507 lines; the reader marks them all.
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.