Page:Poems of Emma Lazarus vol 2.djvu/32

Rh The Spirit is not dead, proclaim the word, Where lay dead bones, a host of armed mea I ope yonr graves, tdy people, eaith the Lord, And I shall place you living in your land. in dream the spirits unbegot, Veiled, floating phantoms, lost in twilight space ; For one the hour had struck, he paused; the place Rang with an awful Voice ; "Soul, choose thy lot! Two paths are ofEered; that, in velvet-flower, Slopes easily to every earttJy prize. Follow the multitude and bind thine eyes, Thou and thy sons' sons shall have peace with power. This narrow track skirts the abysmal verge, Here sbalt thou stumble, totter, weep and bleed, men shall hate and hound thee and thy seed, Thy portion be the wound, the stripe, the scourge. But in thy hand I place my lamp for light. Thy blood shall be the witness of my Law, Choose now for all the ages!" Then I saw The unveiled spirit, grown divinely bright. Choose the grim patli. He turned, I knew full well The pale, great martyr-forehead shadowy-curled. The glowing eyes that had renounced the world, Disgraced, despised, immortal Israel.