Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
With iron scepters bruised,
1280
and them disperse
Like to a potter’s vessel, shivered so.
And now be wise at length,
1281
ye kings averse,
1282
Be taught, ye judges of the earth—with fear
Jehovah serve, and let your joy converse
1283
With trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he appear
In anger and ye perish in the way,
1284
If once his wrath take fire, like fuel sere.
1285
Happy all those who have him in their stay.
1286
3
When he
1287
fled from Absalom.
1288
Lord, how many are my foes,
How many those
That in arms against me rise.
Many are they
That of my life distrustfully thus say:
No help for him in God there lies.
But thou, Lord, art my shield, my glory,
Thee through my story
1289
Th’ exalter of my head I count.
Aloud I cried
Unto Jehovah. He full soon
1290
replied
And heard me from His holy mount.
I lay and slept, I waked again,
For my sustain
Was the Lord. Of many millions
The populous rout
1291
I fear not, though encamping round about
They pitch
1292
against me their pavilions.
1293
Rise, Lord. Save me, my God, for Thou
Hast smote
1294
ere now
On the cheek-bone all my foes,
Of men abhorred
Hast broke the teeth. This help was from the Lord,
Thy blessing on Thy people flows.
4
Answer me when I call,
God of my righteousness.
1295
In straits
1296
and in distress
Thou didst me disenthrall
1297
And set at large.
1298
Now spare,
Now pity me, and hear my earnest prayer.
Great ones, how long will ye
My glory have in scorn?
How long be this forborn
1299
Still to love vanity,
To love, to seek, to prize
Things false and nothing else but lies?
Yet know the Lord hath chose,
Chose to Himself apart
The good and meek of heart
(For whom to choose He knows).
Jehovah from on high
Will hear my voice, what time
1300
to Him I cry.
Be awed,
1301
and do not sin.
Speak to your hearts alone,
Upon your beds, each one,
And be at peace within.
Offer the offerings just
1302
Of righteousness, and in Jehovah trust.
Many there be that say
“Who yet will show us good?”
Talking like this world’s brood!
1303
But Lord, thus let me pray:
On us lift up the light,
Lift up the favor of Thy count’nance bright.
Into my heart more joy
And gladness Thou has put
Than when a year of glut
1304
Their stores
1305
doth over-cloy
1306
And from their plenteous grounds
1307
With vast increase their corn
1308
and wine abounds.
In peace at once will I
Both lay me down and sleep,
For Thou alone dost keep
Me safe, where ere I lie.
As in a rocky cell
Thou, Lord, alone in safety mak’st me dwell.
5
Jehovah, to my words give ear,
The voice of my complaining hear,
My King and God, for unto Thee I pray.
Jehovah, Thou my early voice
Shalt in the morning hear.
I’ th’ morning I to Thee, with choice,
1311
Will rank
1312
my prayers and watch till Thou appear.
For Thou art not a God that takes
In wickedness delight.
Evil with Thee no biding
1313
makes.
Fools or madmen stand
1314
not within Thy sight.
All workers of iniquity
1315
Thou hat’st, and them unblessed
Thou wilt destroy that speak a lie.
The bloodi’ and guileful
1316
man God doth detest.
But I will in Thy mercies dear,
Thy numerous mercies go
Into Thy house, I in Thy fear
1317
Will towards Thy holy temple worship low.
1318
Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness,
Lead me because of those
Set Thy right ways before
1321
where my step goes.
No word is firm or sooth:
1324
Their inside troubles miserable,
An open grave their throat; their tongue they smooth.
God, find them guilty, let them fall
By their own counsels quelled,
1325
Push them in their rebellions all
Still on, for against Thee they have rebelled.
Then all who trust in Thee shall bring
Their joy, while Thou from blame
Defend’st them. They shall ever sing
And shall triumph in Thee, who love Thy name.
For Thou, Jehovah, wilt be found
To bless the just man still,
1326
As with a shield. Thou will surround
Him with Thy lasting favor and good will.
6
Lord, in Thine anger do not reprehend
1327
me,
Nor in Thy hot displeasure me correct.
Pity me, Lord, for I am much deject,
Am very weak and faint. Heal and amend me,
For all my bones that even with anguish ache
Are troubled, yea, my soul is troubled sore.
And Thou, O Lord, how long? Turn, Lord, restore
1328
My soul, O save me for Thy goodness sake,
For in death is no remembrance of Thee.
Who in the grave can celebrate Thy praise?
Wearied I am with sighing out my days,
Nightly my couch
1329
I make a kind of sea,
My bed I water with my tears, mine eye
I’ th’ midst of all mine enemies, that mark.
1332
Depart all ye that work iniquity!
1333
Depart from me, for the voice of my weeping
The Lord hath heard, the Lord hath heard my prayer,
My supplication
1334
with acceptance fair
The Lord will own,
1335
and have me in His keeping.
Mine enemies shall be all blank
1336
and dashed
1337
With much confusion, then grown red with shame
They shall return in haste the way they came,
And in a moment shall be quite abashed.
1338
7
Upon the words of Chush, the Benjamite,
1339
against him.
1340
Lord, my God, to Thee I fly,
Save me and secure me under
Thy protection, while I cry,
Lest as a lion (and no wonder)
He haste to tear my soul asunder—
Tearing, and no rescue nigh.
Lord, my God, if I have thought