Chanukah Lights

I kindled my eight little candles

My Chanukah candles and lo!

Fair visions and dreams half-forgotten

To me came of years long ago.

I musingly gazed at my candles

Meseemed in their quivering flames

In golden, in fiery letters

I read the old glorious names.

The Triumph of Judas Maccabaeus

(1635)

Peter Paul Reubens

(1577-1640)

The names of our heroes immortal,

The noble, the brave, and the true,

A battle-field saw I in vision

Where many were conquered by few.

Where trampled in dust lay the mighty

Judea's proud Syrian foe;

And Judas, the brave Maccabaeus

In front of his army I saw.

His eyes shone like bright stars of heaven

Like music rang out his strong voice;

Brave comrades, we fought and we conquered

Now let us, in God's name, rejoice!

"We conquered-but know, O brave comrades

No triumph is due to the sword!

Remember our glorious watchword,

For People and Towns of the Lord!"

He spoke, and from all the four corners

An echo repeated each word,

The woods and the mountains re-echoed;

For People and Towns of the Lord!

And swiftly the message spread, saying

"Judea, Judea is free,

Re-kindled the lamp in the Temple,

Re-kindled each bosom with glee!"

My Chanukah-candles soon flickered

Around me was darkness of night;

But deep in my soul I felt shining

A heavenly-glorious light.

Have a blessed and beautiful Chanukah!

"Chanukah Lights"

From "The Standard Book of Jewish Verse"

(1917)

Phillip Max  Raskin

(1880-1944)

Jewish American poet