From Belshazzar, HWV 61, Act I
Composer |
George Frideric Handel |
|---|---|
Key |
g minor → c minor |
Meter |
4/4 |
English text |
|---|
Belshazzar |
It is the custom, I may say, the law, |
By long prescription fix’d. |
(looking round and spying the Jews) |
These captive Jews! |
What do they here? They low’r upon our joys, |
And envy liberty they cannot taste. |
Yet something your perverse and wayward nation |
Shall to our mirth contribute. Bring those vessels, |
Those costly vessels my victorious grandsire |
Took from the Temple of Jerusalem, |
And in the temple of Bel laid up, |
But us’d them not: — ‘tis fit they should be us’d. |
And let their God, whose pow’r was found too weak |
To save his people, serve the conquerors |
Of him and them. We’ll revel in his cups: |
Their rich materials and choice workmanship |
Shall well augment the splendor of our feast. |
And as we drink, we’ll praise our country gods, |
To whom we owe the prize. |
Nitocris |
Oh, sacrilege,
Unheard of profanation! |
Opera Stanford |
In the last month, 15,000 people used VMII to discover early vocal music. But we only need two $10 donors to cover our server costs. If you find VMII useful, please give what you can!