When these words had been uttered the army arose;
300 Still stood the sea for the staunch warriors.
The cohorts lifted their linden-shields,
Their signals on the sand. The sea-wall mounted,
Stood upright over Israel's legion,
For day's time; then the doughty band
305 Was of one mind. The wall of the sea-streams
Held them unharmed in its hollow embrace.
They spurned not the speech nor despised its teaching,
As the wise man ended his words of exhorting
And the noise diminished and mingled with the sound.
310 Then the fourth tribe traveled foremost,
Went into the waves, the warriors in a band
Over the green ground; the goodly Jewish troop
Struggled alone over the strange path
Before their kinsmen. So the King of heaven
315 For that day's work made deep reward,
He gave them a great and glorious victory,
That to them should belong the leadership
In the kingdom, and triumph over their kinsmen and tribesmen.
When they stepped on the sand, as a standard and sign
320 A beacon they raised over the ranks of shields,
Among the godly group, a golden lion,
The boldest of beasts over the bravest of peoples.
At the hands of their enemy no dishonor or shame
Would they deign to endure all the days of their life,
325 While boldly in battle they might brandish their shields
Against any people. The awful conflict,
The fight was at the front, furious soldiers
Wielding their weapons, warriors fearless,
And bloody wounds, and wild battle-rushes,
330 The jostling of helmets where the Jews advanced.
Marching after the army were the eager seamen,
The sons of Reuben; raising their shields
The sea-vikings bore them over the salt waves,
A multitude of men; a mighty throng
335 Went bravely forth. The birthright of Reuben
Was forfeited by his sins, so that he followed after
In his comrade's track. In the tribes of the Hebrews,
The blessings of the birthright his brother enjoyed,
His riches and rank; yet Reuben was brave.
340 Following him came the folk in crowds,
The sons of Simeon in swarming bands,
The third great host. With hoisted banners
Over the watery path the war-troop pressed
Dewy under their shafts. When daylight shone
345 Over the brink of the sea, --the beacon of God,
The bright morning,-- the battle-lined marched.
Each of the tribes traveled in order.
At the head of the helmeted host was one man,
Mightiest in majesty and most renowned;
350 He led forward the folk as they followed the cloud,
By tribes and by troops. Each truly knew
The right of rank as arranged by Moses,
Every man's order. They were all from one father.
Their sacred sire received his land-right,
355 Wise in counsel, well-loved by his kinsmen.
He gave birth to a brave, bold-hearted race,
The sage patriarch to a sacred people,
To the Children of Israel, the chosen of God.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The folk were affrighted with fear of the ocean;
Sad were their souls. The sea threatened death;
The sides of the hill were soaked with blood;
450 Gory was the flood, confusion on the waves,
The water full of weapons; the wave-mist arose.
The Egyptians turned and journeyed backward;
They fled in fright; fear overtook them;
Hurrying in haste their homes they sought;
455 Their pride had fallen; they felt sweep over them
The welling waters; not one returned
Of the host to their homes, but behind they were locked
By Wyrd in the waves. Where once was the path
The breakers beat and bore down the army.
460 The stream stood up; the storm arose
High to the heavens, the harshest of noises.
Dark grew the clouds. The doomed ones cried
With fated voices; the foam became bloody.
The sea-walls were scattered and the skies were lashed
465 With the direst of deaths; the daring ones were slain,
The princes in their pomp-- they were past all help
In the edge of the ocean. Their armor shone
High over the hosts. Over the haughty ones poured
The stream in its strength. Destroyed were the troop
470 And fettered fast; they could find no escape.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Egyptians were
For that day's work deeply punished,
Because not any of the army ever came home;
Of that mighty multitude there remained not a one
510 Who could tell the tale of the traveling forth
Who could announce in the cities the sorrowful news
To the wives of the warriors of the woeful disaster.
But the sea-death swallowed the sinful men,
And their messengers too, in the midst of their power,
515 And destroyed their pride, for they strove against God.
299. Moses has just finished telling the children of Israel that he has
been able to make the sea part its waves so that they may walk across
unharmed.
307, 308. This passage is obscure in meaning.
310. The tribe of Judah lead the way. They are followed by the tribe of
Reuben (v. 331) and then by the tribe of Simeon (v. 340). This order
is perhaps taken from Numbers, chapter ii.
331. The Children of Israel are called "sailors" in the poem, but no
satisfactory explanation has been made of the usage.
335, 336. See Genesis 49:4.