Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.

By Rufus C. Hopkins

A Tribute to the Jews

SINCE Terah’s son from Chaldea went,

On Manfred’s plains to spread his tent,

The Jewish race in every age

Illumines the historic page.

In ages dim, long past and gone,

The Hebrew warrior victories won,

Ere Priam’s son in battle stood,

Or Roman soldier shed his blood.

The ancient Seer, in dreamy trance,

The past had seen in mystic glance,

And in the flaming bush had heard

The voice of God—Almighty’s word.

On Sinai’s mount, ’mid thunders loud,

From cavern dark, and curtaining cloud

Mysterious voices to him came

In which he heard Jehovah’s name;

And in the clefted rock he saw

The Spirit of Eternal Law.

The history of this people old,

By poet writ and prophet told,

Gives pictures grand of highest thought,

From realms of inspiration caught;

Whether writ with pen of living fire,

Or told in words of burning ire;

Whether an Isaiah sternly warns,

Or Jeremiah weeping mourns;

Whether Daniel warning gives to kings

Or the lone captive sadly sings

Beneath the willow trees upon

The streams that flow by Babylon;

Whether David sings a hymn of praise,

Or Job laments his darkened days;

They all, in lofty numbers tell

Of thoughts sublime, that only dwell

In minds inspired by living beams

That wake to life the poet’s dreams.

Dark was the day, and sad the hour,

When Judea passed to Roman power!

Her old men sighed, her maidens wept,

When havoc o’er Jerusalem swept;

And smouldering ruins, stained with blood,

Told where her sacred Temple stood.

And darker still, in after time,

When scattered far, in every clime,

Against her wandering children rose

The persecuting hand of foes,

Inspired by blind, malignant hate,

Which centuries long did not abate,

Which still in this enlightened day,

Has not entirely passed away;

And, yet for all, though scattered wide

On every shore where rolls the tide,

Her children e’er preserved the name

That told from whence their fathers came;

And worshipped still the Great Unknown,

As to the ancient Patriarch shown.

The gloomy ages testify

To what they did in times gone by,

In learned science, and the part

They acted in the realms of art,

While wandering o’er the face of earth,

Far from the land that gave them birth.

The student of historic lore,

As slow he turns the pages o’er,

Upon its musty leaves will see

Semitic names of high degree;

In many a dim and blotted line,

The Maccabæan warriors shine,

And bright and lustrous, too, he sees

The name of famed Maimonides.

And modern times bear witness, too,

To what the sons of Israel do—

Disraeli fills a shining place

In the history of the Saxon race;

And Benjamin high honors won

In the Senate Halls of Washington;

Montefiore long will stand

An honored name in every land;

The Baron Hirsch long, long will be

Remembered by humanity;

While now, to-day, the Bernhardt’s name

Is clothed in histrionic fame!

While, though the Jews no country claim,

And, as a nation, have no name,

They still retain, where’er they be,

Their ancient skill and energy;

And whereso’er on earth they live

Obedience to the laws they give,

And merit well an honored place

’Mong children of a foreign race.

The Christ, who gave the Christians name,

And a redeeming Saviour came

To the transgressing sons of earth,

Was of an humble Jewish birth;

And, furthermore, the sacred book,

From which their creeds the Christians took,

And on whose truths their faith they base,

Sprang from the ancient Jewish race.

Then honored be that glorious race,

Whose genius still on earth finds place,

While classic Greece has passed away,

And Rome has lost her ancient sway;

And shame on him who would withhold

The credit due this people old,

Whoe’er have played such active part

In science, literature and art.