Jerusalem
(Words by William Blake, Music by Hubert Parry, as Performed by "Blake")
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
On Thursday, Dave and I will be travelling to Israel - with a tour of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and many other sites around that country, as well as a brief side trip into Palestine to visit Bethlehem and a few days at the end in Jordan (where we will be seeing Petra, Amman, the Dead Sea, and the Wadi Rum desert). We are really excited to experience both the history and present of these storied lands, and even though recent events have heightened the travel advisories around visiting the Middle East right now, we're eager to get on that plane.
Officially on vacation for the next couple of weeks.
