Händel - Belshazzar; Air Cyrus - Dry those unavailing tears

BELSHAZZAR (1745)

An Oratorio by Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759)
Words by Charles Jennens

10. Air
Cyrus
Dry those unavailing tears,
Haste your just revenge to speed;
I'll disperse your gloomy fears,
Dawning hope shall soon succeed.

11. Recitative
Cyrus
Be comforted: safe though the tyrant seem
Within those walls, I have a stratagem,
Inspir'd by Heav'n (dreams oft descend from Heav'n)
Shall baffle all his strength; so strong my mind
Th'impression bears, I cannot think it less.

12. Accompagnato
Cyrus
Methought, as on the bank of deep Euphrates
I stood, revolving in my anxious mind
Our arduous enterprise, a voice divine,
In thunder utter'd, to the bottom seem'd
To pierce the river's depth. The lofty tow'rs
Of yon proud city trembling bow'd their heads,
As they would kiss the ground. "Thou deep," it said,
"Be dry". No more; but instant at the word,
The stream forsook its bank, and in a moment
Left bare his oozy bed. Amaz'd I stood:
Horror, till then unknown, uprais'd my hair,
And froze my falt'ring tongue. The voice renew'd:
"Cyrus, go on, and conquer: 'tis I that rais'd thee,
I will direct thy way. Build thou my city,
And without ransom set my captives free."

13. Recitative
Cyrus
Now tell me, Gobrias, does not this Euphrates
Flow through the midst of Babylon?
Gobrias
It does.

Cyrus
And I have heard you say, that on the west
A monstrous lake, on ev'ry side extended,
Four hundred furlongs, while the banks were made,
Receiv'd th'exhausted river?

Gobrias
'Tis most true.

Cyrus
Might we not then
By the same means now drain Euphrates dry,
And through its channel march into the city?

Gobrias
Suppose this done: yet still the brazen gates,
Which from the city to the river lead,
Will bar our passage, always shut by night,
When we must make th'attempt. Could we suppose
Those gates unshut, we might indeed ascend
With ease into the city.

Cyrus
Said you not
This is the feast to Sesach consecrate?
And that the Babylonians spend the night
In drunken revels, and in loose disorder?

Gobrias
They do; and 'tis religion to be drunk
On this occasion.

Category:

Music

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