Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.
By Mrs. LevitusThe Two Rabbis
T
Two aged men with hoary hair;
One glanced around with smiling brow,
The other wept in deep despair.
Land of my love,” the weeper cried;
“Thy scattered sons in exile weep,
And alien are thy state and pride.
The prowling lion seeks his prey
On the spot where once thy temple stood;
And thy brave children,—Where are they?
Scattered, despised, a fallen race,
They wander far in alien lands,
And seek in vain a resting place.
Our hopes, our glory perish all?
How canst thou gaze with joyous glance
Upon our temple’s ruined wall?”
In all the Eternal’s power I see,
And hope springs up within my heart,
Even from our depths of misery.
Destroyed our land for guilt and crime,
So surely will he raise us up
To joy, at his appointed time.
Shall once again be free and great?
Hath he not said, in Zion’s halls
Shall once again be kingly state?
Will yet be ours in future years;
And thus my face with smiles is glad,
While thine is dewed with bitter tears.”