Judas Maccabaeus -
1. Ouverture
2. Chorus MOURN, YE AFFLICTED CHILDREN
Mourn, ye afflicted children, the remains
of captive Judah, mourn in solemn strains;
your sanguine hopes of liberty give o'er,
your hero, friend, and father is no more.
3. Recitative WELL MAY YOUR SORROWS
Israelitish Man
Well may your sorrows, brethren, flow
in all th'expressive signs of woe;
your softer garments tear,
and squalid sackcloth wear;
your drooping heads with ashes strew,
and with the flowing tear your cheeks bedew.
Israelitish Woman
Daughters, let your distressful cries
and loud lament ascend the skies.
Your snowy bosoms beat, and tear,
with hands remorseless, your dishevell'd hair.
For pale and breathless, Mattathias lies,
sad emblem of his country's miseries.
4. Duet FROM THIS DREAD SCENE
From this dread scene, these adverse pow'rs, ah! whither shall we fly?
O Solyma, thy boasted tow'rs in smoky ruins lie.
5. Chorus FOR SION LAMENTATION MAKE
For Sion lamentation make,
with words that weep
and tears that speak.
6. Recitative NOT VAIN IS ALL THIS STORM OF GRIEF
Israelitish Woman
Not vain is all this storm of grief,
to vent our sorrows gives relief.
Wretched indeed! But let not Judah's race
their ruin with desponding arms embrace.
Distractful doubt and desperation
ill become the chosen Nation,
chosen by the great I AM,
the Lord of Hosts, who still the same,
we trust will give attentive ear
to the sincerity of pray'r.
7. Air PIOUS ORGIES
Israelitish Woman
Pious orgies, pious airs,
decent sorrow, decent pray'rs
will to the Lord ascend and move His pity,
and regain his love.
8. Chorus O FATHER, WHOSE ALMIGHTY POW'R
O Father, whose almighty pow'r,
the heav'ns and earth and seas adore!
The hearts of Judah, thy delight,
in one defensive band unite.
And grant a leader bold and brave,
if not to conquer, born to save.
9. Accompanied Recitative I FEEL THE DEITY WITHIN
Simon
I feel the Deity within,
who, the bright Cherubim between,
His radiant glory, erst display'd.
To Israel's distressful pray'r
He hath vouchsafed a gracious ear,
and points out Maccabaeus to their aid.
Judas shall set the captive free,
and lead us on to victory.
10. Air ARM, ARM, YE BRAVE
Simon
Arm, arm, ye brave, a noble cause,
the cause of Heav'n your zeal demands.
In defence of your nation, religion and laws,
th'Almighty Jehovah will strengthen your hands.
11. Chorus WE COME IN BRIGHT ARRAY
We come in bright array,
Judah, thy sceptre to obey.
12. Recitative 'TIS WELL, MY FRIENDS
Judas
'Tis well, my friends; with transport I behold
the spirit of our fathers, fam'd of old
for their exploits in war.
Oh, may their fire
with active courage you, their sons, inspire;
as when the mighty Joshua fought,
and those amazing wonders wrought;
stood still, obedient to his voice, the sun,
'till kings he had destroy'd, and kingdoms won.
13. Air CALL FORTH THY POW'RS
Judas
Call forth thy pow'rs, my soul, and dare,
the conflict of unequal war.
Great is the glory of the conqu'ring sword,
that triumphs in sweet liberty restor'd.
14. Recitative TO HEAV'NS IMMORTAL KING WE KNEEL
Israelitish Woman
To Heav'n's immortal King we kneel
for blessings on this exemplary zeal.
Bless him, Jehovah, bless him, and once more
to Thine own Israel Liberty restore.
15. Air O LIBERTY, THOU CHOICEST TREASURE
Israelitish Woman
O Liberty, thou choicest treasure,
seat of virtue, source of pleasure;
life without thee knows no blessing,
no endearment worth caressing
16. Air COME, EVER-
Israelitish Woman
Come, ever-
and with thee bring thy jocund train.
For thee we pant, and sigh for thee,
with whom eternal pleasures reign.
17. Air 'TIS LIBERTY
Israelitish Man
'Tis Liberty, dear Liberty alone,
that gives fresh beauty to the sun,
that bids all nature look more gay,
and lovely life with pleasure steal away.
18. Duet COME, EVER-
Israelitish Woman, Israelitish Man
Come, ever-
and with thee bring thy jocund train.
For thee we pant, and sigh for thee,
with whom eternal pleasures reign.
19. Chorus LEAD ON
Lead on, lead on, Judah disdains
the galling load of hostile chains.
20. Recitative SO WILL'D MY FATHER, NOW AT REST
Judas
So will'd my father, now at rest
in the eternal mansions of the blest.
"Can ye behold," said he, "the miseries
in which the long insulted Judah lies?
Can ye behold their sore distress,
and not, at least, attempt redress?"
Then faintly, with expiring breath,
"Resolve, my sons, on liberty or death."
We come, we come; O see, thy sons prepare
the rough habiliments of war,
with hearts intrepid, and revengeful hands,
to execute, O sire, thy dread commands.
Ambition! if e'er honour was thine aim, challenge it here:
the glorious cause gives sanction to thy claim.
23. Air NO UNHALLOW'D DESIRE
Judas
No unhallow'd desire
our breasts shall inspire;
nor lust of unbounded pow'r.
But peace to obtain,
free peace let us gain,
and conquest shall ask no more.
26. Recitative HASTE WE, MY BRETHREN
Israelitish Man
Haste we, my brethren, haste we to the field,
dependent on the Lord, our strength and shield.
27. Chorus HEAR US, O LORD
Hear us, O Lord, on Thee we call,
resolv'd on conquest, or a glorious fall.
28. Chorus FALL'N IS THE FOE
Fall'n is the foe; so fall Thy foes, O Lord,
where warlike Judas wields his righteous sword.
29. Recitative VICTORIOUS HERO!
Israelitish Man
Victorious hero! Fame shall tell,
with her last breath, how Apolonius fell,
and all Samaria fled, by thee pursued
through hills of carnage and a sea of blood.
While thy resistless prowess dealt around,
with their own leader's sword, thy deathful wound.
Thus, too, the haughty Seron, Syria's boast,
before thee fell, with his unnumber'd host.
30. Air SO RAPID THY COURSE IS
Israelitish Man
So rapid thy course is
not numberless forces
withstand thy all-
Though nations surround thee,
no pow'r shall confound thee,
'till freedom again be restor'd.
33. Recitative O LET ETERNAL HONOURS CROWN HIS NAME
Israelitish Woman
O let eternal honours crown his name;
Judas! first Worthy in the rolls of fame.
Say, "He put on the breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike harness about him.
In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey."
34. Air FROM MIGHTY KINGS HE TOOK THE SPOIL
Israelitish Woman
From mighty kings he took the spoil,
and with his acts made Judah smile.
Judah rejoiceth in his name,
and triumphs in her hero's fame.
35. Duet and Chorus HAIL, JUDEA, HAPPY LAND!
Hail, Judea, happy land!
Salvation prospers in his hand.
36. Recitative THANKS TO MY BRETHREN
Judas
Thanks to my brethren.
But look up to Heav'n,
to Heav'n let glory and all praise be giv'n.
To Heav'n give your applause,
nor add the second cause,
as once your fathers did in Midian,
saying, "The sword of God and Gideon."
It was the Lord that for His Israel fought,
and this our wonderful salvation wrought.
37. Air HOW VAIN IS MAN WHO BOASTS IN FIGHT
Judas
How vain is man who boasts in fight
the valour of gigantic might.
And dreams not that a hand unseen
directs and guides this weak machine.
38. Recitative O JUDAS, O MY BRETHREN
Israelitish Messenger
O Judas, O my brethren!
New scenes of bloody war in all their horrors rise.
Prepare, or soon we fall a sacrifice
to great Antiochus.
From the Egyptian coast
(where Ptolemy hath Memphis and Pelusium lost)
he sends the valiant Gorgias,
and commands his proud victorious bands
to root out Israel's strength, and to erase
ev'ry memorial of the sacred place.
39. Air and Chorus AH! WRETCHED ISRAEL!
Israelitish Woman, Chorus
Ah! wretched Israel! fall'n how low,
from joyous transport, to desponding woe.
40. Recitative BE COMFORTED
Simon
Be comforted. Nor think these plagues are sent for your destruction, but for chastisement.
Heav'n oft in mercy punisheth, that sin may feel its own demerit from within, and urge not utter ruin.
Turn to God, and draw a blessing from His iron rod.
41. Air THE LORD WORKETH WONDERS
Simon
The Lord worketh wonders, His glory to raise.
And still as He thunders, is fearful in praise.
42. Recitative MY ARMS! AGAINST THIS GORGIAS WILL I GO
Judas
My arms! Against this Gorgias will I go.
The Idumean Governor shall know
how vain, how ineffective his design,
while rage his leader, and Jehovah mine.
43. Air and Chorus SOUND AN ALARM
Judas, Chorus
Sound an alarm. Your silver trumpets sound,
and call the brave, and only brave around.
Who listeth, follow; to the field again.
Justice, with courage, is a thousand men.
We hear the pleasing, dreadful call,
and follow thee to conquest. If to fall,
for laws, religion, liberty we fall.
44. Recitative ENOUGH! TO HEAV'N WE LEAVE THE REST
Simon
Enough! To Heav'n we leave the rest.
Such gen'rous ardour firing ev'ry breast, we may divide our cares.
The field be thine, O Judas, and the sanctuary mine.
For Sion, holy Sion, seat of God,
in ruinous heaps is by the heathen trod.
Such profanation calls for swift redress,
if e'er in battle Israel hopes success.
45. Air WITH PIOUS HEARTS
Simon
With pious hearts, and brave as pious,
O Sion, we thy call attend.
Nor dread the nations that defy us,
God our defender, God our friend.
46. Recitative YE WORSHIPPERS OF GOD!
Israelitish Man, Israelitish Woman
Ye worshippers of God! Down with the polluted altars, down.
Hurl Jupiter Olympus from
his throne,
nor reverence Bacchus with his ivy crown
and ivy-
Our fathers never knew him or his beastly crew,
or, knowing, scorn'd such idol vanities.
No more in Sion let the virgin throng,
wild with delusion pay their nightly song
to Ashtoreth, eclips'd the Queen of Heav'n.
Hence, to Phoenicia be the goddess driv'n:
or be she, with her priests and pageants, hurl'd
to the remotest corner of the world, ne'er to delude us more with pious lies.
47. Duet and Chorus O NEVER BOW WE DOWN
O never, never bow we down
to the rude stock or sculptur'd stone.
But ever worship Israel's God,
ever obedient to His awful nod.
We worship God, and God alone.
48. Air FATHER OF HEAV'N
Israelitish Priest
Father of Heav'n, from Thy eternal throne,
look with an eye of blessing down,
while we prepare with holy rites,
to solemnize the Feast of Lights.
And thus our greateful hearts employ,
and in Thy praise
this altar raise
with carols of triumphant joy.
49. Accompanied Recitative SEE, SEE YON FLAMES
Israelitish Man
See, see yon flames that from the altar broke
in spiry streams pursue the trailing smoke;
the fragrant incense mounts the yielding air,
sure presage that the Lord hath heard our pray'r.
50. Recitative O GRANT IT, HEAV'N
Israelitish Woman
O grant it, Heav'n, that our long woes may cease,
and Judah's daughters taste the calm of peace.
Sons, brothers, husbands to bewail no more,
tortur'd at home, or havock'd in the war.
51. Air SO SHALL THE LUTE AND HARP AWAKE
Israelitish Woman
So shall the lute and harp awake,
and sprightly voice sweet descant run.
Seraphic melody to make,
in the pure strains of Jesse's son.
52. Recitative FROM CAPHARSALAMA
Israelitish Messenger
From Capharsalama, on eagle wings I fly
with tidings of impetuous joy.
Came Lysais, with his host array'd in coat of mail;
their massy shields of gold and brass
flash'd lightning o'er the fields,
while the huge tow'r-
display'd a horrid front.
But Judas, undismay'd, met, fought, and vanquish'd all the rageful train.
53. Air ALL HIS MERCIES
Israelitish Messenger
All his mercies I review,
gladly, with a grateful heart.
And I trust he will renew
blessings he did once impart.
54. Recitative YET MORE, NICANOR LIES
Israelitish Messenger
Yet more, Nicanor lies with thousands slain;
the blasphemous Nicanor, who defied the living God,
and in his wanton pride a public monument ordain'd
of victories yet ungain'd.
But lo! the conqueror comes, and on his spear,
to dissipate all fear,
he bears the vaunter's head and hand
that threaten'd desolation to the land.
55. Chorus SEE, THE CONQU'RING HERO COMES
See, the conqu'ring hero comes,
sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
songs of triumph to him sing.
See, the godlike youth advance,
breathe the flutes and lead the dance.
Myrtle wreaths and roses twine,
to deck the hero's brow divine.
57. Solo and Chorus SING UNTO GOD
Sing unto God, and high affections raise,
to crown this conquest with unmeasur'd praise.
58. Recitative SWEET FLOW THE STRAINS
Judas
Sweet flow the strains that strike my feasted ear.
Angels might stoop from heav'n to hear
the comely songs ye sing
to Israel's Lord and King.
But pause awhile: due obsequies prepare
to those who bravely fell in war.
To Eleazar special tribute pay.
Through slaughter'd troops he cut his way
to the distinguish'd elephant,
and, 'whelmed beneath the stabbed monster,
triumph'd in a glorious death.
59. Air WITH HONOUR LET DESERT BE CROWN'D
Judas
With honour let desert be crown'd;
the trumpet ne'er in vain shall sound.
But all attentive to alarms
the willing nations fly to arms
and conquering, or conquer'd, claim the prize
of happy earth, or far more happy skies.
60. Recitative PEACE TO MY COUNTRYMEN
Eupolemus
Peace to my countrymen; peace and Liberty.
From the great Senate of Imperial Rome,
with a firm league of amity, I come.
Rome, whate'er nation dare insult us more,
will rouse, in our defence, her vet'ran power,
and stretch her vengeful arm by land or sea,
"To curb the proud, and set the injur'd free."
61. Chorus TO OUR GREAT GOD
To our great God be all the honour giv'n,
that grateful hearts can send from earth to heav'n.
62. Recitative AGAIN TO EARTH LET GRATITUDE DESCEND
Israelitish Woman, Israelitish Man
Again to earth let gratitude descend.
Praiseworthy is our hero and our friend.
Come, then, my daughters, choicest art bestow
to weave a chaplet for the victor's brow;
and in your songs for ever be confess'd
the valour that preserv'd, the pow'r that bless'd,
bless'd you with hours, that scatter as they fly,
soft, quiet, gentle love, and boundless joy.
63. Duet O LOVELY PEACE
O lovely peace, with plenty crown'd
come, spread thy blessings all around.
Let fleecy flocks the hills adorn,
and valleys smile with wavy corn.
Let the shrill trumpet cease,
nor other sound but nature's songsters wake the cheerful morn.
64. Air and Chorus REJOICE, O JUDAH, HALLELUJAH, AMEN
Simon, Chorus
Rejoice, O Judah, and in songs divine,
with Cherubim and Seraphim, harmonious join.
Hallelujah, Amen.
