Poems (Ford)/The Flight into Egypt
For works with similar titles, see The Flight into Egypt.
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
FOUNDED ON AN OLD TRADITION.
FOUNDED ON AN OLD TRADITION.
With outspread, dusky pinions the night had hovered down,
And silence calmly brooded above the sleeping town,
And in that quiet hamlet, where all seemed hushed rest,
The infant Saviour slumbered upon his mother's breast.
And silence calmly brooded above the sleeping town,
And in that quiet hamlet, where all seemed hushed rest,
The infant Saviour slumbered upon his mother's breast.
Soon Joseph heard the summons that bade them take their flight
Across Judea's mountains, wrapped in the veil of night;
And Mary, quickly rising, sped on her dreary path,
To shield her priceless Treasure from Herod's tyrant wrath.
Across Judea's mountains, wrapped in the veil of night;
And Mary, quickly rising, sped on her dreary path,
To shield her priceless Treasure from Herod's tyrant wrath.
The way was lone and silent, save when the night-wind's sigh
'Mong the pale, whispering olives in a low wail went by;
All living things seemed resting in that still midnight hour
When a lost world's Redeemer fled from his creature's power.
'Mong the pale, whispering olives in a low wail went by;
All living things seemed resting in that still midnight hour
When a lost world's Redeemer fled from his creature's power.
The exiles soon saw fading from view their native land;
At last their weary footsteps pressed Egypt's burning sand;
The fiery sun above them his fiercest rays poured down,
And evening brought no shelter from midnight's gloomy frown.
At last their weary footsteps pressed Egypt's burning sand;
The fiery sun above them his fiercest rays poured down,
And evening brought no shelter from midnight's gloomy frown.
Sometimes a lonely palm-tree on the wild desert's breast
Offered the weary pilgrims a shaded spot of rest;
And when fierce thirst assailed them, perchance a bitter pool
Yielded its brackish waters, their parching lips to cool.
Offered the weary pilgrims a shaded spot of rest;
And when fierce thirst assailed them, perchance a bitter pool
Yielded its brackish waters, their parching lips to cool.
'T is said that on this journey, in a wild, gloomy den,
The hiding-place of robbers, of reckless, outlawed men,
One night they found a shelter, and rude lips kindly gave
The Wanderers a welcome into the bandits' cave.
The hiding-place of robbers, of reckless, outlawed men,
One night they found a shelter, and rude lips kindly gave
The Wanderers a welcome into the bandits' cave.
The chieftain's wife gazed kindly upon the Holy Child,
And viewed the fair young Mother with pitying glance and mild,—
Surely some dire misfortune had driven forth from home
These frail and helpless pilgrims o'er the wide world to roam.
And viewed the fair young Mother with pitying glance and mild,—
Surely some dire misfortune had driven forth from home
These frail and helpless pilgrims o'er the wide world to roam.
A large tear slowly gathered in that wild woman's eye;
Her own loved babe was resting in quiet slumber nigh;
Ah, well might bitter sorrow on her sad face appear—
Foul leprosy had tainted the form to her so dear.
Her own loved babe was resting in quiet slumber nigh;
Ah, well might bitter sorrow on her sad face appear—
Foul leprosy had tainted the form to her so dear.
Soon Mary asked for water, and reverently arose
To bathe the Holy Infant, then hushed Him to repose;
And to the mourning woman His young face seemed so bright
She fancied they were angels who lodged with her that night.
To bathe the Holy Infant, then hushed Him to repose;
And to the mourning woman His young face seemed so bright
She fancied they were angels who lodged with her that night.
A strange hope thrilled her bosom. She took her stricken one
And washed him in the water where Mary bathed her Son,
When, lo! with joy she saw him freed from disease and pain—
The water touched by Jesus had cleansed her child from stain.
And washed him in the water where Mary bathed her Son,
When, lo! with joy she saw him freed from disease and pain—
The water touched by Jesus had cleansed her child from stain.
Years passed: the child to boyhood, the boy to manhood grew,
And, though he loved his mother, he joined the robber crew
Again for him she sorrows, and as her sad tears flow
She thinks upon the pilgrims she sheltered long ago.
And, though he loved his mother, he joined the robber crew
Again for him she sorrows, and as her sad tears flow
She thinks upon the pilgrims she sheltered long ago.
Wild, reckless, fierce and daring, the youthful robber's hand
Wrought many a deed of terror upon the desert sand;
Though in his heart some feeling of good had lingered still,
It lay all crushed and buried by a dense weight of ill.
Wrought many a deed of terror upon the desert sand;
Though in his heart some feeling of good had lingered still,
It lay all crushed and buried by a dense weight of ill.
*******
The noonday sun is gilding the hills of Palestine,
And, bathed in golden radiance, the temple's white walls shine:
Jerusalem, what meaneth that fierce, tumultuous yell
Resounding through thy arches like shout of fiends from hell?
And, bathed in golden radiance, the temple's white walls shine:
Jerusalem, what meaneth that fierce, tumultuous yell
Resounding through thy arches like shout of fiends from hell?
Alas! those execrations that through thy streets now ring
Proclaim that blind Judea denies and slays her King;
And He, the long-expected, who came to set her free,
On Calvary hangs extended upon the crimson tree.
Proclaim that blind Judea denies and slays her King;
And He, the long-expected, who came to set her free,
On Calvary hangs extended upon the crimson tree.
Earth to her King has given a cruel, thorny crown,
And o'er His aching forehead the warm, bright drops roll down;
Fierce, brutal men stand round Him, all purpled by His gore,—
Each drop enough to ransom a thousand worlds and more.
And o'er His aching forehead the warm, bright drops roll down;
Fierce, brutal men stand round Him, all purpled by His gore,—
Each drop enough to ransom a thousand worlds and more.
As thus our blessed Saviour in agony and pain
Pours out His life-blood freely to cleanse our souls from stain,
Forgetful of His sufferings, he turns a pitying eye
Upon the wretched robbers who with Him are to die.
Pours out His life-blood freely to cleanse our souls from stain,
Forgetful of His sufferings, he turns a pitying eye
Upon the wretched robbers who with Him are to die.
One answers with reviling, and scorns His pitying word;
The other looks more kindly upon our suffering Lord,
And then his thoughts turn sadly back to his wasted years,
His sinless, happy childhood, his mother's prayers and tears.
The other looks more kindly upon our suffering Lord,
And then his thoughts turn sadly back to his wasted years,
His sinless, happy childhood, his mother's prayers and tears.
But in the form beside him, the pallid, blood-stained face,
The limbs all bruised and mangled, no human eye could trace
The fair, sweet babe, so radiant with beauty's rosy glow,
Who journeyed through the desert so many years ago.
The limbs all bruised and mangled, no human eye could trace
The fair, sweet babe, so radiant with beauty's rosy glow,
Who journeyed through the desert so many years ago.
He sees the blows and insults; the fiendish howls and jeers
Of the bloodthirsty rabble are ringing in his ears;
He hears the sweet forgiveness our dying Lord bestows,
And feels that none but Jesus could bless such cruel foes.
Of the bloodthirsty rabble are ringing in his ears;
He hears the sweet forgiveness our dying Lord bestows,
And feels that none but Jesus could bless such cruel foes.
He prays that stainless Victim his soul from sin to free:
"When Thou art in Thy kingdom, O Lord, remember me;"
Then sees His glance of mercy, and hears His pale lips say,
"My son, thou shalt be with me in Paradise today."
"When Thou art in Thy kingdom, O Lord, remember me;"
Then sees His glance of mercy, and hears His pale lips say,
"My son, thou shalt be with me in Paradise today."
Where like God's smile so lately the glorious sunbeams shone,
All now is gloom and horror; earth seems to rock and moan,
And startled Nature trembles and veils her eyes in dread,
And wrapped in robes of mourning weeps her Creator dead.
All now is gloom and horror; earth seems to rock and moan,
And startled Nature trembles and veils her eyes in dread,
And wrapped in robes of mourning weeps her Creator dead.
Soon from the side of Jesus, pierced by a cruel spear,
Flow precious drops of healing upon the robber near,
And the repentant sinner cleansed by that crimson wave
Is little leprous Dimas of the wild robbers' cave.
Flow precious drops of healing upon the robber near,
And the repentant sinner cleansed by that crimson wave
Is little leprous Dimas of the wild robbers' cave.