Classic Poem

SECTION I .

The Lord's Praise celebrated for his own Excellence, and overthrowing his Enemies.

I'll sing unto the Lord, who doth
His glorious triumph shew;
For he the horse, and rider both,
Into the ocean threw.

Weak was I, but the Lord's my strength:
Dumb, but he's now my song;
Lost, but he is become at length
All my salvation strong.

He is my God, I'll him prepare
An habitation nigh;
My father's God, with double care
I will exalt him high.

The Lord's a man of war, I boast
The Lord his name to be;
He Pharaoh's chariots and his hosts
Hath cast into the sea.

He did his chosen captains drown,
Within the Red Sea brink;
The depths them hid, to the bottom down
They like a stone did sink.

Thy right hand, O Jehovah, did
Its pow'rful glory show;
Thy right hand, O Jehovah, did
In pieces dash the foe.

Soon in thy greatness excellent,
Thy foes thou ruin'd hast;
And forth thine indignation sent,
Did them as stubble waste.

Lo! at thy nostrils' blast, on sight
The waves combining rose;
Floods, as an heap, did stand upright,
The deeps in mid-sea froze.

The raging foe thus spoke in pride,
" I'll now pursue them hot;
I will o'ertake, I will divide
The spoil upon the spot:

My lust its satisfaction full
Upon them shall enjoy;
My bloody sword draw forth I will,
My hand shall them destroy. "

But when thy wind did blow, with speed
The billows were their graves;
For down they sank, as pond'rous lead,
Within the mighty waves.

[Thy orders quickly overthrew
The proud Egyptian host,
Who boldly daring to pursue
Were in the ocean lost.]

SECTION II .

The Lord extolled for his wonderful Works in preserving his People.

Who is like thee among the gods!
Lord, who is like to thee?
So vast, so infinite the odds,
Where can thine equal be!

In holiness most glorious,
In praises fearful too;
In doing wonders marvellous,
None else the like can do!

When thou but stretchedst thy right hand,
The earth obedient rose,
With open mouth at thy command,
And swallow'd up thy foes,

Thou all the folk thou did'st redeem,
Hast led forth in thy grace:
And, in thy strength, hast guided them
Unto thy holy place.

People shall hear and fear, and so
In grief and anguish pine:
Sorrow shall catch the folk that do
Inhabit Palestine.

On Edom's dukes amazing fits,
On Moab's men of might
Trembling shall seize; all Canaanites
Shall melt away outright.

Great fear and dread shall them arrest,
Thine arm's great mightiness
Shall still them, as a stone supprest,
Till once thy people pass;

Till once the folk, thou chosen hast,
Pass over by thy grant,
To the mountain thou inheritest,
Thou'lt them bring in and plant.

The place, O Lord, which thou hast made
To be thy dwelling fine,
The sanctuary established
Firm, by thy hands divine.

The Lord shall ever reign, who hath
Such fame by Pharaoh's plea,
Whose chariot, horse, and cavalcade,
So madly took the sea:

For then the Lord upon their head,
Roll'd back the waves again;
But on dry land went Israel's seed
Amidst the cloven main.

SECTION III .

Miriam's Answer.

Sing to the Lord, who made his name,
In pomp triumphant known;
The horse and rider both by him,
Were in the ocean thrown.