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8PARABLE: A Tale of Abram and IsaacISAACYea, father, but my heart shiv’rethTo see thy drawn sword so.Tell me, father,Bear ye your sword drawn for me?Texts adapted from the medieval mystery play Abraham andIsaac; “The Parable of the Old Man and the Young” by WilfredOwen; and the Aramaic and Hebrew prayer Mourners’ Kaddish.ANGELAbram, Abram wilt thou rest?The Lord commandeth thee,Thy Lord commandeth thee for to takeIsaac, thy young son, that thou lovest best,And with his blood make sacrifice.Go! Go thou into the Land of VisionAnd offer thy child unto the Lord;I shall lead thee and show also.Unto God’s hest, Abram, accord!CHORUSSo Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,And took the fire with him, and a knife.And as they sojourned both of them together,Isaac the firstborn spake and said:ISAACFather, my Father,Behold the preparations, fire and iron,But where the lamb for this burnt offering?Where the quicke beast that ye should kill?ABRAMDread thee not, my child,Our Lord will send me and show here in this placeSome manere of beast for to take,Through His sweet sand [messenger].8.559444 16ABRAMAh, Isaac, sweet son, peace! Peace!Peace, dear child,In all thy life thou grieved me never.Sweet son, my sweetest child in earth,In all thy life thou grieved me never once;I love thee best of all.Isaac, thou hast been to me child full good.But child, though I mourn ne’er so fast,Yet must I hereIn this place shed all thy blood.ISAACMercy!ABRAMAh, Isaac, sweet son, peace! Peace!ISAACMercy, father!ABRAMPeace, dear child, leave off thy moans!Isaac, thou break’st my heart in three.ISAACMercy! Ah, mercy father, mourn no more!Your weeping maketh my heart soreAs mine own death.