The Complete Poetry of John Milton (4 page)
Read The Complete Poetry of John Milton Online
Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
The floods stood still like Walls of Glass,
50
While the Hebrew Bands did pass.
For,
.
But full soon they did devour
The Tawny
3
King with all his power.
55
For,.
His chosen people he did bless
In the wastfull Wildernes.
60
For,.
In bloody battail he brought down
Kings of prowess and renown.
For,.
65
He foild bold
Seon
and his host,
That rul’d the
Amorrean
coast.
For,.
And large-limb’d
Og
he did subdue,
70
With all his over-hardy crew.
For,.
And to his servant
Israel
He gave their Land therin to dwell.
75
For,.
He hath with a piteous eye
Beheld us in our misery.
80
For,.
And freed us from the slavery
Of the invading enemy.
For,.
85
All living creatures he doth feed,
And with full hand supplies their need.
For,.
Let us therfore warble forth
90
His mighty Majesty and worth.
For,.
That his mansion hath on high
Above the reach of mortall eye.
95
For his mercies ay endure,
Ever faithfull, ever sure.
(
1624
)
1
Though this paraphrase elaborates upon the Hebrew, its result, unlike that in
Ps.
114, is relative simplicity of language and image. Phrases have been traced to George Buchanan (in his Latin paraphrases of the psalms) and to Joshua Sylvester (in his translation of DuBartas’
Divine Weeks and Works
). Milton omitted verses 12, 18, and 22 of the original.