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A JEW. WHO is this beggar blinking in the sun? | |
| Is it not he who used to sit and beg | |
By the Gate Beautiful?
ANOTHER. It is the same. | |
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A THIRD. It is not he, but like him, for that beggar | |
| Was blind from birth. It cannot be the same. | 5 |
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THE BEGGAR. Yea, I am he.
A JEW. How have thine eyes been opened? | |
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THE BEGGAR. 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. | 10 |
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A JEW. Where is He?
THE BEGGAR. I know not.
PHARISEES. What is this crowd | |
| Gathered about a beggar? What has happened? | |
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A JEW. Here is a man who hath been blind from birth, | |
| And now he sees. He says a man called Jesus | |
Hath healed him.
PHARISEES. As God liveth, the Nazarene! | 15 |
How was this done?
THE BEGGAR. Rabboni, he put clay | |
| Upon mine eyes; I washed, and now I see. | |
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PHARISEES. When did he this?
THE BEGGAR. Rabboni, yesterday. | |
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PHARISEES. The Sabbath day. This man is not of God | |
| Because he keepeth not the Sabbath day! | 20 |
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A JEW. How can a man that is a sinner do | |
Such miracles?
PHARISEES. What dost thou say of him | |
That hath restored thy sight?
THE BEGGAR. He is a Prophet. | |
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A JEW. This is a wonderful story, but not true. | |
| A beggar’s fiction. He was not born blind, | 25 |
And never has been blind!
OTHERS. Here are his parents. | |
Ask them.
PHARISEES. Is this your son?
THE PARENTS. Rabboni, yea; | |
We know this is our son.
PHARISEES. Was he born blind? | |
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THE PARENTS. He was born blind.
PHARISEES. Then how doth he now see? | |
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THE PARENTS, aside. What answer shall we make? If we confess | 30 |
| 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. | 35 |
| He is of age; ask him; we cannot say; | |
He shall speak for himself.
PHARISEES. Give God the praise! | |
| We know the man that healed thee is a sinner! | |
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THE BEGGAR. Whether He be a sinner, I know not; | |
| One thing I know; that whereas I was blind, | 40 |
I now do see.
PHARISEES. How opened he thine eyes? | |
What did he do?
THE BEGGAR. I have already told you. | |
| Ye did not hear: why would ye hear again? | |
Will ye be his disciples?
PHARISEES. God of Moses! | |
| Are we demoniacs, are we halt or blind, | 45 |
| 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, | 50 |
We know not whence he is!
THE BEGGAR. 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, | 55 |
| 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! | |
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PHARISEES. Thou, who wast altogether born in sins | 60 |
| And in iniquities, dost thou teach us? | |
| Away with thee out of the holy places, | |
| Thou reprobate, thou beggar, thou blasphemer! THE BEGGAR is cast out. | |
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