Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE WIFE'S TREASURE, by SABINE BARING-GOULD Poet's Biography First Line: At sidon lived a husband with his wife Last Line: "now thou art mine, and I will treasure thee!" Subject(s): Jews; Love - Marital; Man-woman Relationships; Judaism; Wedded Love; Marriage - Love; Male-female Relations | ||||||||
AT Sidon lived a husband with his wife For ten long years, leading a tranquil life, With but a single griefthey had no child, And, to his barren lot unreconciled, The man upon it brooded. Then he bent His steps to Rabbi Simeon, with intent To be divorced; and to the woman's tears He steeled his heart, and said: "Ten happy years In peacefulness with thee, true heart, I spent; Staunch wert thou ever, nor a word to smart Escaped thy lips. And now, before we part, I will accord the treasure thou dost find In thy old home best suited to thy mind. Take it; whate'er it be, it shall be thine, To solace thee when thou no more art mine." Then said the Rabbi Simeon: "O ye pair! Before ye separate, a feast prepare, And pledge each other in the ruddy wine; Then the feast ended, woman, unto thine Own father's house do thou repair." That very night the supper board was spread, According to the law; one seated at the head, The other at the bottom. To the brim The woman filled the bowl and passed it to him, And then he pledged her, and she filled again, And he the goblet to his wife did drain Once more, with many wishes good and fair, But she the generous liquor did not spare, Until he fell into a drunken sleep, With head upon the table, heavy and deep. And thus concluded the farewell carouse. So then, she took him up with gentle care Upon her shoulder, and her husband bare, Nodding and drowsing, to her father's house, And laid him on the bed. At peep of day He started up and said: "Woman! I pray, Tell me, where am I?" She to him replied: "You promised me that nought should be denied To me of what I valued. I could find, In all thy house, thee only to my mind, And I have borne thee hither; now I trow That thou art mine; I will not let thee go. When I was thine, thou wouldst be quit of me; Now thou art mine, and I will treasure thee!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MISERY AND SPLENDOR by ROBERT HASS THE APPLE TREES AT OLEMA by ROBERT HASS DOUBLE SONNET by ANTHONY HECHT CONDITIONS XXI by ESSEX HEMPHILL CALIFORNIA SORROW: MOUNTAIN VIEW by MARY KINZIE SUPERBIA: A TRIUMPH WITH NO TRAIN by MARY KINZIE COUNSEL TO UNREASON by LEONIE ADAMS TWENTY QUESTIONS by DAVID LEHMAN A HYMN FOR PROCESSION WITH CROSS AND BANNERS by SABINE BARING-GOULD |
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