Page 282 - El paraiso perdido

PARADISE I.OST
Shall tremble. he descending. will himself.
In thunder. lightning. and loud trumpet s sound.
Ordain them laws-part. such as appertain 230
To civil .iustice: pan. religious ntes
Of sacrifice. informing them. by types
And shadows. of that destined Seed to bruise
The Serpent. by what means he shall achieve
Mankind’s deliverance. But the voice of God
To mortal ear is dreadful: they beseech
That Moses might report to them his will.
And terror cease: he grants what they besought.
Instructed that to God is no aecess
Without Mediator. whose high office now 240
Moses in figure bears. to introduce
One greater. of w hose day he shall foretell.
And all the Prophets. in their age. the times
Ofgreat Messiah shall sing. Thus laws and rites
Established. such delight halh God in men
Obedient to his will. that he vouchsafes
Among them to set up his tabernacle-
The Holy One with mortal men to dwell:
By his prescript a sanctuary is framed
Ofcedar. overlaid with gold: therein 250
•\n ark. and in the ark his testimony.
The records of his cov'nant: over thesc
A merey-seat of gold. between the w ings
i
Oftwo bright Cherubim: before him burn
Se\en lamps. as in a zodiac representing
The heavenly tires: over the tent a cloud
Shall rest by day. a liery gleam by night.
Save when they journey. and at length they come.
Conducted by his Angel, to the land
Promised to Abraham and his seed: the rest 260
Were long to tell-how many battlcs fought.
How many kings destroyed. and kingdoms won;
Or how the sun shall in mid-heaven stand still
A day entire, and night's due course adjourn.
Man s \oice commanding. "Sun: in Gibeon stand.
And thou. Moon in the vale of Ajalon.
I ill Israel overeóme!" -so cali the third
from abraham. son of Isaac, and from him
LIBRO XII
Temblará, descendiendo el mismo Dios
Con relámpagos, truenos y trompetas:
1.es dará leyes: partes referidas
A justicia civil, parte a los ritos
De víctimas, y. en tipos, informándoles
Y en sombras, de aquel hijo que herirá
A la sierpe y por que medios logrará
Librar al hombre: mas la voz de Dios
Es terrible de oir y ellos le piden
Que les diga Moisés su voluntad
Y cesen los temores. Dios accede
1' entienden que hasta Dios nadie se acerca
Sin mediador, cuyo alto oficio ahora
Moisés hace en figura y representa
A otro superior del que hablará:
Y todos los profetas a su vez
Cantarán al Mesías. Ley y rito
Se establecen y Dios se goza en hombres
Obedientes, de modo que concede
Poner su tabernáculo entre ellos
Para que viva el Santo con los hombres:
Con sus normas fabrican el Santuario
De cedro y de oro. Dentro de él
Un arca y en el arca el testimonio
Que informa su alianza. Por encima
Un trono de piedad entre las alas
De brillantes querubes. Ante él arden
Siete luces: zodiaco y figura
De estrellas. Por encima hay una nube
De día y una llama por la noche
Excepto cuando viajan. Al fin llegan
Guiado por su Ángel a la tierra
Prometida a Abrahán y su progenie.
Lo demás es muy largo: las batallas.
Los reyes y los reinos conquistados.
El sol que se detiene en todo el cielo
A la voz: “En Gibbón detente. Sol
'
V tú. Luna, en el valle de Ajalón
Y vencerá Israel: es el tercero
De Abrahán e Isaac y quien da el nombre