Page:Poems of Emma Lazarus vol 2.djvu/234

'Neath his beard his pale lips quivered.
And a shadow crossed his forehead.

Very gentle was his aspect.
And his voice was mild and friendly,
"Evil words, my son, thou speakest,
Teaching to the fowls of heaven.

"In our Talmud it stands written,
Thrice curst is the tongue of slander,
Poisoning also with its victim,
Him who speaks and him who listens."

But no whit abashed, Pedrillo,
" What care I for curse of Talmud ?
'T is no slander to speak evil
Of the murderers of our Saviour.

" To your beard I will repeat it,
That I only bide my manhood,
To wreak all my lawful hatred,
On thyself and on thy people."

Very gently spoke the Rabbi,
" Have a care, my son Pedrillo,
Thou art orphaned, and who knoweth
But thy father loved this people ? "

" Think you words like these will touch me ?
Such I laugh to scorn, sir Rabbi,