Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Mighty Are Fallen

The Mighty Are Fallen
by David A. Hoover

Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel
Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel

Tell it not in Gath
Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice
And mock our sons

Weep... you daughters of Israel
For Saul your king is fallen
He who clothed you in the finest
Bejeweled you as your highness

Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel
Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel

Tell it not in Gath
Publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon
Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice
And mock our sons

Sorrow you sons of Israel
And mourn you sons of Judah
Grieve your heroes fallen
King Saul and Prince Jonathan

Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel
Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel

May no rain ever upon you fall
Or dew gently lie
Fields where the anointed ones
Were left to lonely die

Valiant in battle
So brave against the foe
Now Israel's leaders have fallen low

Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel
Oh how the Mighty are Fallen
Upon the hills of Israel

May no rain ever upon you fall
Or dew gently lie
Fields where our royal sons
Were left to lonely die

O Jonathan my brother
Your love to me was greater
Than the love of a woman
O Jonathan where are you?


Cheshvan 23
11-15-87
For Ilan, based upon the account of the death of Saul, Israel's first king, and his sons, by their Philistine enemies in 2 Samuel 1.

Since writing this years ago, I've been blessed to live next to Mount Gilboa at Kibbutz Reshafim near Bet She'an and Sahne.


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