| |
| THIS picture does the story express | |
| Of Moses in the bulrushes, | |
| How lively the painter’s hand | |
| By colors makes us understand. | |
| Moses that little infant is, | 5 |
| This figure is his sister. This | |
| Fine stately lady is no less | |
| A personage than a princess, | |
| Daughter of Pharaoh, Egypt’s king | |
| Whom Providence did hither bring | 10 |
| This little Hebrew child to save. | |
| See how near the perilous wave | |
| He lies exposèd in the ark, | |
| His rushy cradle, his frail bark! | |
| Pharaoh, King of Egypt land, | 15 |
| In his greatness gave command | |
| To his slaves they should destroy | |
| Every new-born Hebrew boy. | |
| This Moses was a Hebrew’s son; | |
| When he was born, his birth to none | 20 |
| His mother told, to none revealed | |
| But kept her goodly child concealed. | |
| Three months she hid him; then she wrought | |
| With bulrushes this ark, and brought | |
| Him in it to this river’s side, | 25 |
| Carefully looking far and wide | |
| To see that no Egyptian eye | |
| Her ark-hid treasure should espy. | |
| Among the river-flags she lays | |
| The child. Near him his sister stays. | 30 |
| We may imagine her affright | |
| When the King’s daughter is in sight. | |
| Soon the princess will perceive | |
| The ark among the flags and give | |
| Command to her attendant maid | 35 |
| That its contents shall be displayed. | |
| Within the ark the child is found, | |
| And now he utters mournful sound. | |
| Behold he weeps as if he were | |
| Afraid of Egypt’s cruel heir! | 40 |
| She speaks, she says, “This little one | |
| I will protect though he the son | |
| Be of an Hebrew.” Every word | |
| She speaks is by the sister heard. | |
| And now observe, this is the part | 45 |
| The painter chose to show his art. | |
| Look at the sister’s eager eye, | |
| As here she seems advancing nigh. | |
| Lowly she bends, says “Shall I go | |
| And call a nurse for thee? I know | 50 |
| A Hebrew woman liveth near. | |
| Great lady, shall I bring her here?” | |
| See! Pharaoh’s daughter answers “Go.” | |
| No more the painter’s art can show. | |
| He cannot make his figures move. | 55 |
| On the light wings of swiftest love | |
| The girl will fly to bring the mother | |
| To be the nurse. She’ll bring no other. | |
| To her will Pharaoh’s daughter say, | |
| “Take this from me away, | 60 |
| For wages nurse him.” To my home | |
| At proper age this child may come. | |
| When to our palace he is brought, | |
| Wise masters shall for him be sought | |
| To train him up befitting one, | 65 |
| I would protect as my own son. | |
| And Moses be a name unto him, | |
| Because I from the waters drew him. | |
| |
