Robert Buchanan

’T WAS the body of Judas Iscariot  
 Lay in the Field of Blood;  
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Beside the body stood.  
 
Black was the earth by night
 And black was the sky;  
Black, black were the broken clouds,  
 Tho’ the red Moon went by.  
 
’T was the body of Judas Iscariot  
 Strangled and dead lay there;  
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Look’d on it in despair.  
 
The breath of the World came and went  
 Like a sick man’s in rest;  
Drop by drop on the World’s eyes
 The dews fell cool and blest.  
 
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Did make a gentle moan—  
“I will bury underneath the ground  
 My flesh and blood and bone.
 
“I will bury deep beneath the soil,  
 Lest mortals look thereon,  
And when the wolf and raven come  
 The body will be gone!  
 
“The stones of the field are sharp as steel,
 And hard and bold, God wot;  
And I must bear my body hence  
 Until I find a spot!”  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 So grim, and gaunt, and gray,  
Rais’d the body of Judas Iscariot,  
 And carried it away.  
 
And as he bare it from the field  
 Its touch was cold as ice,  
And the ivory teeth within the jaw
 Rattled aloud, like dice.  
 
As the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Carried its load with pain,  
The Eye of Heaven, like a lanthorn’s eye,  
 Open’d and shut again.  
 
Half he walk’d, and half he seem’d  
 Lifted on the cold wind;  
He did not turn, for chilly hands  
 Were pushing from behind.  
 
The first place that he came unto  
 It was the open wold,  
And underneath were prickly whins,  
 And a wind that blew so cold.  
 
The next place that he came unto  
 It was a stagnant pool,
And when he threw the body in  
 It floated light as wool.  
 
He drew the body on his back,  
 And it was dripping chill,  
And the next place that he came unto
 Was a Cross upon a hill.  
 
A Cross upon the windy hill,  
 And a Cross on either side,  
Three skeletons that swing thereon,  
 Who had been crucified.
 
And on the middle crossbar sat  
 A white Dove slumbering;  
Dim it sat in the dim light,  
 With its head beneath its wing.  
 
And underneath the middle Cross  
 A grave yawn’d wide and vast,  
But the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Shiver’d, and glided past.  
 
The fourth place that he came unto  
 It was the Brig of Dread,
And the great torrents rushing down  
 Were deep, and swift, and red.  
 
He dar’d not fling the body in  
 For fear of faces dim,  
And arms were wav’d in the wild water  
 To thrust it back to him.  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Turn’d from the Brig of Dread,  
And the dreadful foam of the wild water  
 Had splash’d the body red.
 
For days and nights he wander’d on  
 Upon an open plain,  
And the days went by like blinding mist,  
 And the nights like rushing rain.  
 
For days and nights he wander’d on,
 All thro’ the Wood of Woe;  
And the nights went by like moaning wind,  
 And the days like drifting snow.  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Came with a weary face—  
Alone, alone, and all alone,  
 Alone in a lonely place!  
 
He wander’d east, he wander’d west,  
 And heard no human sound;  
For months and years, in grief and tears,
 He wander’d round and round.  
 
For months and years, in grief and tears,  
 He walk’d the silent night;  
Then the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Perceiv’d a far-off light.  
 
A far-off light across the waste,  
 As dim as dim might be,  
That came and went like a lighthouse gleam  
 On a black night at sea.  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot
 Crawl’d to the distant gleam;  
And the rain came down, and the rain was blown  
 Against him with a scream.  
 
For days and nights he wander’d on,  
 Push’d on by hands behind;  
And the days went by like black, black rain,  
 And the nights like rushing wind.  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot,  
 Strange, and sad, and tall,  
Stood all alone at dead of night
 Before a lighted hall.  
 
And the wold was white with snow,  
 And his footmarks black and damp,  
And the ghost of the silver Moon arose,  
 Holding her yellow lamp.
 
And the icicles were on the eaves,  
 And the walls were deep with white,  
And the shadows of the guests within  
 Pass’d on the window light.  
 
The shadows of the wedding guests
 Did strangely come and go,  
And the body of Judas Iscariot  
 Lay stretch’d along the snow.  
 
The body of Judas Iscariot  
 Lay stretch’d along the snow;
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Ran swiftly to and fro.  
 
To and fro, and up and down,  
 He ran so swiftly there,  
As round and round the frozen Pole  
 Glideth the lean white bear.  
 
’T was the Bridegroom sat at the tablehead,  
 And the lights burn’d bright and clear—  
“Oh, who is that,” the Bridegroom said,  
 “Whose weary feet I hear?”
 
’T was one look’d from the lighted hall,  
 And answer’d soft and slow,  
“It is a wolf runs up and down  
 With a black track in the snow.”  
 
The Bridegroom in his robe of white  
 Sat at the tablehead—  
“Oh, who is that who moans without?”  
 The blessed Bridegroom said.  
 
’T was one look’d from the lighted hall,  
 And answer’d fierce and low,
“’T is the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Gliding to and fro.”  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Did hush itself and stand,  
And saw the Bridegroom at the door
 With a light in his hand.  
 
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,  
 And he was clad in white,  
And far within the Lord’s Supper  
 Was spread so long and bright.
 
The Bridegroom shaded his eyes and look’d,  
 And his face was bright to see—  
“What dost thou here at the Lord’s Supper  
 With thy body’s sins?” said he.  
 
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot
 Stood black, and sad, and bare—  
“I have wander’d many nights and days;  
 There is no light elsewhere.”  
 
’T was the wedding guests cried out within,  
 And their eyes were fierce and bright—
“Scourge the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Away into the night!”  
 
The Bridegroom stood in the open door,  
 And he wav’d hands still and slow,  
And the third time that he wav’d his hands
 The air was thick with snow.  
 
And of every flake of falling snow,  
 Before it touch’d the ground,  
There came a dove, and a thousand doves  
 Made sweet sound.
 
’T was the body of Judas Iscariot  
 Floated away full fleet,  
And the wings of the doves that bare it off  
 Were like its winding-sheet.  
 
’T was the Bridegroom stood at the open door,
 And beckon’d, smiling sweet;  
’T was the soul of Judas Iscariot  
 Stole in, and fell at his feet.  
 
“The Holy Supper is spread within,  
 And the many candles shine,
And I have waited long for thee  
 Before I pour’d the wine!”  
 
The supper wine is pour’d at last,  
 The lights burn bright and fair,  
Iscariot washes the Bridegroom’s feet,
 And dries them with his hair.