by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)
When Israel out of Egypt came
Language: English
When Israel out of Egypt came Safe in the sea they trod; By day in cloud, by night in flame, Went on before them God. He brought them with a stretched out hand Dry-footed through the foam, Past sword and famine, rock and sand, Lust and rebellion, home. I never over Horeb heard The blast of advent blow; No fire-faced prophet brought me word Which way behoved me go. Ascended is the cloudy flame, The mount of thunder dumb; The tokens that to Israel came, To me they have not come. I see the country far away Where I shall never stand; The heart goes where no footstep may Into the promised land. The realm I look upon and die Another man will own; He shall attain the heaven that I Perish and have not known. But I will go where they are hid That never were begot, To my inheritance amid The nation that is not.
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Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936), no title, appears in More Poems, no. 2, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Ramsden Williamson (1929 - 2015), "When Israel out of Egypt came" [baritone and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-13
Line count: 28
Word count: 157