Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Asia: Vols. XXI–XXIII. 1876–79.

Syria: Jericho

Blind Bartimeus

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)

BLIND Bartimeus at the gates

Of Jericho in darkness waits;

He hears the crowd; he hears a breath

Say, “It is Christ of Nazareth!”

And calls, in tones of agony,

[Greek]

The thronging multitudes increase;

Blind Bartimeus, hold thy peace!

But still, above the noisy crowd,

The beggar’s cry is shrill and loud;

Until they say, “He calleth thee!”

[Greek]

Then saith the Christ, as silent stands

The crowd, “What wilt thou at my hands?”

And he replies, “O, give me light!

Rabbi, restore the blind man’s sight!”

And Jesus answers, [Greek]

[Greek]

Ye that have eyes yet cannot see,

In darkness and in misery,

Recall those mighty Voices Three,

[Greek]