Classic Poem

On the Overthrow of P HARAOH , in the Red-sea, from Exodus

The first Party only

I.

Temples, and altars, let us raise,
Ours , and our father's God , provokes our praise.
God is our strength, God is our theme:
Where is Egypt 's fall'n esteem?
Pharaoh wakes, from his proud dream:
Wakes, to feel a warrior's hand.
Lord of a pow'r more vast, than his , that shakes his wond'ring land!
Vainly, the following foes our God defy'd,
Their rapid wheels, in vain, tore up the strand:
In vain, they mock'd the waving wand;
Not all their noise could the loud sea withstand;
The wat'ry world flow'd, fearless, o'er their pride,
A drowning army beat th' involving tide.
On wave-wash'd chariots , half-sustain'd, the trembling captains ride.
Up-lifted hoofs paw'd, loose, the liquid way;
And, round 'em, black'ning thro' the foam, the floating legions lay.
  Down, down , th' ungrounded footsteps go;
 Strain'd, to feel for sands , below,
 Sands, where wat'ry mountains flow!
Sinking, like rocks, they clog the deep, with prey,
High-cov'ring, rose the briny flood, and swept their rage away.

II.

 Saving God! thy hand was, here!
  Thou protecting, who can fear?
Threat'ning aloud, the thund'ring legions rose,
And, at thy chosen , shook th' extended spear:
Behind, amaz'd, we saw th' o'ertaking foes,
  Hearts anticipating blows,
But, while thy blast, O base despair! blew keen,
  Safely , from heav'n, shot down, between!
Dreadful, in wrath, thy lifted arm but shone,
And, all th' unnumber'd thousands melt away:
O'er stubbly fields, so, wind-driv'n fire rolls on,
And sweeps the blazing breadth, with crackly sway.

III.

Th' almighty's voice but spoke a loud command,
And, strait, th' unlinking surges, backward, rise.
High-climbing waves, in quiv'ring mountains, stand,
And hang their billowy horrors, in the skies .
In murm'ring clest , th' obedient deep yawns wide,
And shad'wy glooms loure dark, from either side!
Down, thro' the horrid vale's moist concave, led,
  Safe, and dry, bold Israel tread;
 Gay, 'twixt terrors, round her, spread,
Her tearful eye, now, smil'd, once more, and hail'd her guardian God .
IV.

 Hark! aloft, the wond'ring foe!
 Look! they cry'd, all pointing low ,
  Shall the cowards 'scape us, so!
 'Twixt the dividing waves , they go!
Their sorc'rer cleaves the sea, with magic skill:
  Haste, prevent, o'ertake, and kill .
They hear, they march—they dare the mad command;
The shouting squares invade the cover'd strand;
Chariots, impell'd on fiery wheels, gore wide th' encumber'd sand.
Mix'd horse, and foot, in bann'ry pomp , descend:
See! from each horn, th' inclining length'ners bend,
Loose, slides the weeping Oose , to shun their weight,
And the deep, murm'ring , mourns th' unusual state .

V.

 Hark! the bursting thunder speaks!
 Waves, your wat'ry ranks disband!
 Oh, behold! how vain , how weak ,
  Strength, that dares its God withstand!
   Down , at once, from either hand,
Hoarse-sounding hills, o'er hills let loose, devour the vanish'd sand!
 Helpless, engulph'd, th' immerging squadrons roll:
Pharaoh , proud-sinking, drinks down brine , that chills his fiery soul.
Mix'd, on th' evolving surge, a-while, they strive,
Then, like sunk plumbets, to the bottom, dive.
Of all the Gods, no God, like ours , is found!
Join, heav'n, and earth, applause like his , let men , and angels , sound.