View source for The Passage of the Red Sea

[[File:the-passage-of-the-red-sea-1873-manuscript.jpg|thumb|250px|right|First page of the manuscript (14 november 1873)]]

''The Passage of the Red Sea'' is a poem written by [[Arthur Conan Doyle]] on 14 november 1873 and published in a Stonyhurst College magazine called [[The Wasp]] in november 1873.


== The Passage of the Red Sea ==
[[File:the-passage-of-the-red-sea-1873-stonyhurst.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Page of [[The Wasp]] (november 1873). On the verso is written: ''"For Aunt Annette with Arthur's Love"''.]]

Like to white daisies in a blooming wood,<br />
To round the sea the tents of Israel stood ;<br />
To east and west, as far as eye could reach,<br />
The thronging crowds are seen along the beach.<br />
What host is this? Is it some savage band <br />
That bears destruction to a distant land?<br />
Is it some patriot army come to fight-<br />
To save their honour, and their nation's right ?<br />
No army this. These girls who throng the plain,<br />
Would they e'er follow in an army's train ?<br />
Behold these aged men, are their grey locks<br />
Fitted for war? Hark to the bleating flocks !-<br />
'Tis but a nomad tribe who seek in flight <br />
Relief from bondage, and from Pharaoh's might. <br />
But lo! what shouts are these? What horrid sound<br />
Which fills the air, and seems to shake the ground ?<br />
High on the summit of a mountain crest, <br />
Hard by, a cloud of dust is seen to rest ; <br />
And higher still above the dust appears <br />
The sheen of armour, and the gleam of spears ! <br />
And further off are heard the deafening peals <br />
Of bugles, and the rush of chariot wheels; <br />
In Israel's camp is frenzy and despair; <br />
The women rave and tear their flowing hair; <br />
The men by grief and disappointment cowed,<br />
Around the standard of their leader crowd. <br />
Then Moses spake: - "Behold my wondrous rod- <br />
Think what its power has wrought, and think on God ; <br />
And say if He, the mighty God who boasts <br />
To be the Lord of lords, and King of Hosts, <br />
Cannot, although so mighty and so sage, <br />
Free us from Egypt and from Pharaoh's rage." <br />
He spake, and by the shore he took his stand,<br />
And o'er the waters thrice he shook his wand.<br />
Wonder of wonders! lo, the waves divide <br />
And stand in dark green walls on either side ! <br />
Right through the midst the roaring sea is reft, <br />
A slippery dismal weedy way is left! <br />
There was no time for thought, no time for fear, <br />
For Egypt's horse already pressed their rear. <br />
On, on, they rush right through the sea, and reach, <br />
Fatigued and tired, the rough opposing beach. <br />
Then back they look and see their daring foe <br />
Still pressing through the yawning gulf below. <br />
Once more did Moses shake his awful wand,<br />
To his command the foaming waves respond. <br />
One horrid shriek! - the tragedy is o'er,<br />
And Pharaoh and his army were no more. 

A.C.D.<br />
''aged 14''





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* [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:Complete Works|Back to Complete Works]]
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