Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, HILLEL AND HIS GUEST; A TALMUDIC LEGEND, by ALICE LUCAS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

HILLEL AND HIS GUEST; A TALMUDIC LEGEND, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Hillel, the gentle, the beloved sage
Last Line: "to-morrow—may it not have fled away?"
Alternate Author Name(s): Montefiore, Julia
Subject(s): Clergy; Hillel (jewish Sage); Jews; Legends; Priests; Rabbis; Ministers; Bishops; Judaism


HILLEL, the gentle, the beloved sage,
Expounded day by day the sacred page
To his disciple in the house of learning;
And day by day, when home at eve returning,
They lingered, clust'ring round him loth to part
From him whose gentle rule won every heart.
But evermore, when they were wont to plead
For longer converse, forth he went with speed,
Saying each day; "I go—the hour is late—
To tend the guest who doth my coming wait."
Until at last they said: "The Rabbi jests
When telling us thus daily of his guests
That wait for him." The Rabbi paused awhile,
And then made answer; "Think you I beguile
You with an idle tale? Not so, forsooth!
I have a guest, whom I must tend in truth.
Is not the soul of man indeed a guest,
Who in this body deigns a while to rest,
And dwells with me all peacefully to-day;
To-morrow—may it not have fled away?"





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