will buy.

To honor the sweet, holy Sabbath, each one With joy in his heart to the market has gone. To shops and to pushcarts they hurriedly fare; But who for the poor, wretched woman will care? A few of her candles you think they will take?— They seek the meat patties, the fish and the cake. She holds forth a hand with the pitiful cry: “Two cents, my good women, three candles will buy!” But no one has listened, and no one has heard: Her voice is so weak, that it fails at each word. Perchance the poor mite in her lap understood, She hears mother’s crying—but where is the good

I pray you, how long will she sit there and cry Her candles so feebly to all that pass by? How long will it be, do you think, ere her breath Gives out in the horrible struggle with Death? How long will this frail one in mother-love strong, Give suck to the babe at her breast? Oh, how long? The child mother’s tears used to swallow before, But mother’s eyes, nowadays, shed them no more. Oh, dry are the eyes now, and empty the brain, The heart well-nigh broken, the breath drawn with pain. Yet ever, tho’ faintly, she calls out anew: “Oh buy but two candles, good women, but two!”

In Hester Street stands on the pavement of stone A small, orphaned basket, forsaken, alone. Beside it is sitting a corpse, cold and stark: The seller of candles—will nobody mark? No, none of the passers have noticed her yet. The rich ones, on feasting are busily set, And such as are pious, you well may believe, Have no time to spare on the gay Sabbath eve. So no one has noticed and no one has seen. And now comes the nightfall, and with it, serene, The Princess, the Sabbath, from Heaven descends, And all the gay throng to the synagogue wends.

Within, where they pray, all is cleanly and bright, The cantor sings sweetly, they list with delight. But why in a dream stands the tall chandelier, As dim as the candles that gleam round a bier? The candles belonged to the woman, you know, Who died in the street but a short time ago. The rich and the pious have brought them tonight, For mother and child they have set them alight. The rich and the pious their duty have done: Her tapers are lighted who died all alone. The rich and the pious are nobly behaved: A body—what matters? But souls must be saved!

O synagogue lights, be ye witnesses bold That mother and child died of hunger and cold Where millions are squandered in idle display; That men, all unheeded, must starve by the way. Then hold back your flame, blessed lights, hold it fast! The great day of judgment will come at the last. 

 Prev. P 7/25 next