Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882). Complete Poetical Works. 1893.

Christus: A Mystery

Part I. The Divine Tragedy. The Second Passover. X. Born Blind

WHO is this beggar blinking in the sun?

Is it not he who used to sit and beg

By the Gate Beautiful?

It is the same.

It is not he, but like him, for that beggar

Was blind from birth. It cannot be the same.

Yea, I am he.

How have thine eyes been opened?

A man that is called Jesus made a clay

And put it on mine eyes, and said to me:

Go to Siloam’s Pool and wash thyself.

I went and washed, and I received my sight.

Where is He?

I know not.

What is this crowd

Gathered about a beggar? What has happened?

Here is a man who hath been blind from birth,

And now he sees. He says a man called Jesus

Hath healed him.

As God liveth, the Nazarene!

How was this done?

Rabboni, he put clay

Upon mine eyes; I washed, and now I see.

When did he this?

Rabboni, yesterday.

The Sabbath day. This man is not of God

Because he keepeth not the Sabbath day!

How can a man that is a sinner do

Such miracles?

What dost thou say of him

That hath restored thy sight?

He is a Prophet.

This is a wonderful story, but not true.

A beggar’s fiction. He was not born blind,

And never has been blind!

Here are his parents.

Ask them.

Is this your son?

Rabboni, yea;

We know this is our son.

Was he born blind?

He was born blind.

Then how doth he now see?

What answer shall we make? If we confess

It was the Christ, we shall be driven forth

Out of the Synagogue! We know, Rabboni,

This is our son, and that he was born blind;

But by what means he seeth, we know not,

Or who his eyes hath opened, we know not.

He is of age; ask him; we cannot say;

He shall speak for himself.

Give God the praise!

We know the man that healed thee is a sinner!

Whether He be a sinner, I know not;

One thing I know; that whereas I was blind,

I now do see.

How opened he thine eyes?

What did he do?

I have already told you.

Ye did not hear: why would ye hear again?

Will ye be his disciples?

God of Moses!

Are we demoniacs, are we halt or blind,

Or palsy-stricken, or lepers, or the like,

That we should join the Synagogue of Satan,

And follow jugglers? Thou art his disciple,

But we are disciples of Moses; and we know

That God spake unto Moses; but this fellow,

We know not whence he is!

Why, herein is

A marvellous thing! Ye know not whence He is,

Yet He hath opened mine eyes! We know that God

Heareth not sinners; but if any man

Doeth God’s will, and is his worshipper,

Him doth He hear. Oh, since the world began

It was not heard that any man hath opened

The eyes of one that was born blind. If He

Were not of God, surely He could do nothing!

Thou, who wast altogether born in sins

And in iniquities, dost thou teach us?

Away with thee out of the holy places,

Thou reprobate, thou beggar, thou blasphemer!