| Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917. | | | | Sonnet | | By Rachel Morpurgo |
| | | MY soul surcharged with grief now loud complains, | |
| And fears upon my spirit heavily weigh, | |
| “Thy poem we have heard,” the people say, | |
| “Who like to thee can sing melodious strains?” | |
| “They’re naught but sparks,” outspeaks my soul in chains, | 5 |
| “Struck from my life by torture every day. | |
| But now all perfume’s fled—no more my lay | |
| Shall rise; for, fear of shame my song restrains.” | |
| A woman’s fancies lightly roam, and weave | |
| Themselves into a fairy web. Should I | 10 |
| Refrain? Ah! soon enough this pleasure, too, | |
| Will flee! Verily I cannot conceive | |
| Why I’m extolled. For woman ’tis to ply | |
| The spinning wheel—then to herself she’s true. | | | | |
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