Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.
By James Maurice Thompson“Fire from high, holy heaven down-drawn”
F
By her strong soul and true,
Flashed over Israel, a sudden dawn
With star-song wild and new,
A moment silent in her fair, firm hand
The harp of David lay,
Then gulfs of hopeless, sorrowing years were spanned
When she began to play,
Hers was a woman’s song, whose martial force
All preludes down-hurled—
Razed every wall that barred its noble course
Around the hindering world.
On far blood-hallowed hills the trampled dust
Of patriarch sires did glow,
And matchless swords, long buried in their rust,
Leaped eager for the blow.
In their lone tombs the Hebrew heroes heard,
The prophets felt and knew.
How once again divinest courage stirred
The genius of the Jew.
A Maccabean influence thrilled the sky,
And shone from star and sun,
The banner of old days was passing by
With toph and clarion!