The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (23 page)

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

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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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,

My meditation
1309
weigh,
1310

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

That do observe
1319
if I transgress.
1320

Set Thy right ways before
1321
where my step goes.

For in his
1322
falt’ring mouth unstable
1323

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

Through grief consumes,
1330
is waxen
1331
old and dark

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

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