Faint, bleeding, of his robes bereft,
'Ready to perish' by the way,
'Mid craggy wilds by robbers left,
A lonely Jewish traveller lay.
A priest of Judah, passing by,
The sufferer saw, and help denied.
A Levite toward him turned his eye,
And 'passed by on the other side.'
A traveller from Samaria came,-
Whose nation's bosom long had burned
With hatred of the Jewish name,-
And toward the wounded stranger turned.
As nearer, on his beast, he drew,
A thrill of pity through him ran;-
He saw not there a hated Jew;
He only saw a suffering man.
He saw him;-from his own scant store
Of oil and wine he filled his cup,
From his own robe a bandage tore,
And bathed his wounds and bound them up;
On his own beast the sufferer laid,
And to an hospitable shed
Bore him,-for all his nursing paid,
And left him on a grateful bed.
'Go, do thou likewise!' Thus said He,
Who gave the world this touching tale;-
We would do likewise, Lord, till we
Tread, each alone, Death's shadowy vale.