Hebrew Melodies

The subsequent poems were written at the request of my friend, the Hon. Douglas Kinnaird, for a Selection of Hebrew Melodies, and have been published, with the music, arranged by Mr. Braham and Mr. Nathan.

Contents:

From the first number (April, 1815)
She Walks in Beauty	She walks in beauty like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
The Harp the Monarch Minstrel Swept	The harp the monarch minstrel swept, The King of men, the loved of Heaven,
If That High World	If that high world, which lies beyond Our own, surviving Love endears;
The Wild Gazelle	The wild gazelle on Judah's hills, Exulting yet may bound,
O Weep for Those	Oh! weep for those that wept by Babel's stream, Whose shrines are desolate, whose land a dream;
On Jordan's Banks	On Jordan's banks the Arab's camels stray, On Sion's hill the False One's votaries pray,
Jeptha's Daughter	Since our Country, our God -- Oh, my Sire! Demand that thy Daughter expire;
O Snatched Away in Beauty's Bloom	Oh! snatch'd away in beauty's bloom, On thee shall press no ponderous tomb;
My Soul is Dark	My soul is dark -- Oh! quickly string The harp I yet can brook to hear;
I Saw Thee Weep	I saw thee weep -- the big bright tear Came o'er that eye of blue;
The Days Are Done	Thy days are done, thy fame begun; Thy country's strains record
It is The Hour	It is the hour when from the boughs The nightingale's high note is heard;
From the second number (May, 1815)
Warriors and Chiefs! (Song of Saul, before his Last Battle)	Warriors and chiefs! should the shaft or the sword Pierce me in leading the host of the Lord,
On the Rivers of Babylon We Sat Down and Wept	We sat down and wept by the waters Of Babel, and thought of the day
Vision of Belshazzar	The King was on his throne, The Satraps throng'd the hall:
Herod's Lament for Mariamne	Oh, Mariamne! now for thee The heart of which thou bled'st is bleeding;
Were My Bosom as False as Thou Deem'st it to Be	Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be, I need not have wander'd from far Galilee;
The Destruction of Sennacherib	The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
Thou Whose Spell Can Raise the Dead (Saul)	Thou whose spell can raise the dead, Bid the prophet's form appear.
When Coldness Wraps This Suff'ring Clay	When coldness wraps this suffering clay, Ah! whither strays the immortal mind?
Fame, Wisdom, Love, and Power were Mine ('All is Vanity Saith the Preacher')	Fame, wisdom, love, and power were mine, And health and youth possess'd me;
From the last hill that looks on thy once holy dome (On the Day of the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus)	From the last hill that looks on thy once holy dome, I beheld thee, oh Sion! when render'd to Rome:
Francisca	Francisca walks in the shadow of night, But it is not to gaze on the heavenly light --
Sun of the Sleepless	Sun of the sleepless! melancholy star! Whose tearful beam glows tremulously far,
From later numbers (1824)
Bright be the place of thy soul!	Bright be the place of thy soul! No lovelier spirit than thine
I Speak Not, I Trace Not, I Breathe Not Thy Name	I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name, There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;
In the Valley of the Waters	In the valley of the waters we wept o'er the day When the host of the stranger made Salem his prey,
A Spirit Pass'd Before Me (from Job)	A spirit pass'd before me: I beheld The face of immortality unveil'd --
They Say That Hope is Happiness	They say that Hope is happiness; But genuine Love must prize the past,