THE POET’S CORNER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9101, 21 March 1908, Page 6

THE POET’S CORNER.

HARPS HUNG UP IN BABYLON. The harps hung up in'Babylon, Their loosened strings rang on, sang on, And cast their murmurs forth upon The roll and roar of Babylon: “Porget me, Lord, if I forget Jerusalem for Babylon, If I forget the vision set High as the head of Lebanon Is lifted over Syria yet, If I forget and bow me down To brutish gods of Babylon.” Two rivers to each other run In the very midst of Babylon, And swifter tbau their current fleets The restless river of the streets Of Babylon, of Babylon, And Babylon’s towers smite the sky, But higher reeks to God most high The smoke of her iniquity: “But oh, betwixt thefgreen and blue To walk the hills that once we knew When you were pure and I was true,” — So rang the harps of Babylon—“Or ere along the roads of stone Had led us captive one by one The subtle gods of Babylon.” The harps hung up in Babylon Hurng silent till the prophet dawn, When Judah’s feet the highway burned Back to the holy hills returned. And shook their dust|on Babylon. In Zion’s halls the wild harps rang. To Zion’s walls their smitten clang, And lo! of Babylon they sang, They only sang of Babylon : Jehovah, round whose throne of awe The vassal stars their orbits draw Within the circle of Thy law, Can’st Thou make nothing what is done, Or cause Thy servant to be one That has not been in Babylon, That has not known the power and pain Of life poured out like driven ram? I will go down and find again My soul that’s lost in Babylon.” —Arthur Colton.