Poems (Ford)/Magdalen
For works with similar titles, see Magdalen.
MAGDALEN.
Lo! Israel's erring daughter, lowly kneeling
At Jesus' feet, with heart repentant bowed,
Her beauteous eyes upraised in mute appealing,
Amid the scandalized, self-righteous crowd.
At Jesus' feet, with heart repentant bowed,
Her beauteous eyes upraised in mute appealing,
Amid the scandalized, self-righteous crowd.
The haughty Pharisees look on in horror,—
A dreadful sacrilege it seems to them
To see this fallen child of sin and error
Approach a Prophet of Jerusalem.
A dreadful sacrilege it seems to them
To see this fallen child of sin and error
Approach a Prophet of Jerusalem.
Unmindful of the scowling brows around her,
Her tears fall on the Saviour’s feet like rain;
Their crystal torrents burst the links that bound her
A captive, fettered by sin’s heavy chain.
Her tears fall on the Saviour’s feet like rain;
Their crystal torrents burst the links that bound her
A captive, fettered by sin’s heavy chain.
The glossy waves of her once jewelled tresses
To wipe His sacred feet far down unroll;
His calm, mild glance of sweet forgiveness blesses
And sheds a balm upon her sin-sick soul.
To wipe His sacred feet far down unroll;
His calm, mild glance of sweet forgiveness blesses
And sheds a balm upon her sin-sick soul.
From countless sins that barred the way to heaven
The Saviour's lips have uttered her release,—
Because she has much loved, much is forgiven;
She hears the blest words, "Daughter, go in peace."
The Saviour's lips have uttered her release,—
Because she has much loved, much is forgiven;
She hears the blest words, "Daughter, go in peace."
Cold, worldly heart, walled in by pride unbending,
If thou wouldst listen to those accents sweet,
Thou, from thy vain self-righteousness descending,
Must, like Magdalen, kneel at Jesus' feet.
If thou wouldst listen to those accents sweet,
Thou, from thy vain self-righteousness descending,
Must, like Magdalen, kneel at Jesus' feet.