Classic Poem

The Good Shepherd
Radiant and piping shrill,
Thou, a child Apollo,
Choosest out the track at will;
Lambs and lambkins follow

Careful Shepherd, lead Thy sheep
To pasture and to shade;
Thou dost neither faint nor sleep,
Whom nothing makes afraid.

Shape and string the stubborn bow
Wing the well cut arrow;
Teach the husbandman to know
Use of share and harrow.

Sit, Apollo-like, afoot
Of the tree of knowledge;
To the chorals tune thy flute
Of the angel college.
The Song

The Priest made preparation
To slay the holocaust,
For fiery immolation;
Ah, lambs! the pain it cost!

So feeble on the altar,
The pitable beast;
His hand was like to falter;
The Shepherd was the Priest.

The victim said: See, Father,
How weak and poor I am.
And so the Priest said: Rather
Myself will be the lamb.

By this the sky was riven
The Victim-priest became
A fire; and leaped to heaven,
A flame and winged with flame.
The Sheep :

Tell us, Shepherd, is it true
That Thou wilt die for us?
The Shepherd :

Ay! to build a house for you,
The sequel shall be thus.