A Cry for Brotherhood

They came from old night with Asia in their blood,

Out of the mystery before the Flood.

They saw old Egypt join the ruined lands,

The sculptured scarlet East turn to gray sands,

Then roar on the world with jaws that did not spare,

Then darkly die upon his ancient lair.

Thru all these years this people carried chains;

Had dark Assyrias and darker Spains.

They were the tribes of sorrow who were fed

From Wells of hate and exile’s bitter bread.

They built the tombs of Pharaohs in old years,

Mixing the bricks with tears.

They built but had no houses of their own:

Tyre heard their dirge and Babylon their moan.

And now in Germany we see again.

The old hard hand laid on these women and men;

And yet this wondrous race has given birth

To genius and a glory on the earth.

Out of this people came

The Book of books and many a glorious name–

Moses who stood once in the holy place

And gazed upon Jehovah, face to face;

Then standing on the cliffs of Sinai,

He heard the wisdom of the upper sky,

And handed down the Decalogue to be

A law for men on every land and sea.

It was a wisdom-word

That centuries and continents have heard;

And never a man of earth has added to it–

This wonder-wisdom from the Infinite.

And Judah had other sons–Isaiah, he

Whose voice was like the thunder of the sea–

Had David, too, whose heaven-enkindled psalm

Has breathed on earth a high unworldly calm–

Had also great Maimonides,

Who touched supernal keys,

Who saw the world, God’s sweet caress,

Was made for man, and man for happiness.

Then her Spinoza lifted a lighted hand.

Which still is flashing light from land to land.

Behold, the wisdom of her poet sages

Has left eternal glory on the ages.

Yes, from the trembling lips of many a seer

The whole wide world has heard, and still can hear

The Psalms, the Torah, and the Talmud speak

Protection for the plundered and the weak.

Shall not this race whose gifts have been so great

Have some protection from the tooth of hate ?

They have not yet their safe place in the sun,

They who knew Egypt, who knew Babylon.

Protest this cruel wrong

In thunders of the sermon and the song.

Let cries go forth in shrill tempestuous note!

As if they rose from Tempest’s roaring throat.

Let there be thunders in the world; let be

A protest that will shake the ruler’s knee.

Let there be protest till the happy hour

When Justice shall unclothe her arm of power.

Let there be thunders in the world–yes, more:

Let there be Brotherhood in every shore.

Let all men rise into the higher place

Where they can see God’s face in every face.

Let there be Brotherhood: let this long cry

Be heard on earth and under every sky!