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בס"ד

Hebrew Melodies.

By Mrs. R. Hyneman

No. II.

The Israelite.

“This people have I formed for myself.”—Isaiah.

Go forth erect and fearless, with God's impress on thy brow,
   The promise of His changeless love within thy trusting heart;
Proud nations shall revere thy might, and crowned heads shall bow,
   And acknowledge thy supremacy, all kingly as thou art.

Thy royalty is God’s own gift, no pageant of a day,
   No momentary splendour to beguile a dreaming hour—
Thy dawn is fast approaching, and each faint and feeble ray
   That now glimmers thro’ the darkness, leads thee on again to pow’r,

Tho’ the oppressor’s hand be on thee, yet fearlessly pass on,
   Tho’ temptations may surround thee and bewildering meteors shine;
A strong right arm is guiding thee, until the goal is won.
   Oh! who would not brave all perils for a heritage like thine?

And tho’ thou drain’st, in agony, the cup of grief and shame,
   While dark tempests low’r around thee, and envenomed shafts are hurled,
   The time will come, forsaken one, when thy insulted name
Will be held a badge of honour by the mightiest in the world.

The time is not far distant when thy light will shine once more,
   As in thy days of freedom, when thy proudest deeds were done,
And thy splendour shall return to thee far brighter than of yore—
   Press thou but nobly to thy task, and fearlessly pass on.