Chapter 5 ‘Banquet Night’

‘ONCE in so often,’ King Solomon said.
?Watching his quarrymen drill the stone.
‘We will club our garlic and wine and bread
?And banquet together beneath my Throne
And all the Brethren shall come to that mess
As Fellow–Craftsmen — no more and no less.
‘Send a swift shallop to Hiram of Tyre.
?Felling and floating our beautiful trees.
Say that the Brethren and I desire
?Talk with our Brethren who use the seas.
And we shall be happy to meet them at mess
As Fellow–Craftsmen — no more and no less.
‘Carry this message to Hiram Abif —
?Excellent Master of forge and mine:—
I and the Brethren would like it if
?He and the Brethren will come to dine
(Garments from Bozrah or morning-dress)
As Fellow–Craftsmen — no more and no less.
‘God gave the Hyssop and Cedar¹ their place —
?Also the Bramble, the Fig² and the Thorn —
But that is no reason to black a man’s face
?Because he is not what he hasn’t been born.
And, as touching³ the Temple, I hold and profess⁴
We are Fellow–Craftsmen — no more and no less.’
So it was ordered and so it was done.
?And the hewers of wood and the Masons of Mark.
With foc’sle hands of the Sidon run
?And Navy Lords from the Royal Ark.
Came and sat down and were merry at mess
As Fellow–Craftsmen — no more and no less.
The Quarries⁵ are hotter than Hiram’s forge.
?No one is safe from the dog-whips’ reach.
It’s mostly snowing up Lebanon gorge⁶.
?And it’s always blowing off Joppa beach;
But once in so often, the messenger brings
Solomon’s mandate⁷: ‘Forget these things!
Brother to Beggars and Fellow to Kings.
Companion of Princes — forget these things!
Fellow–Craftsman, forget these things!’

1 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

2 fig   

n.无花果(树)

参考例句：

• The doctor finished the fig he had been eating and selected another.这位医生吃完了嘴里的无花果，又挑了一个。
• You can't find a person who doesn't know fig in the United States.你找不到任何一个在美国的人不知道无花果的。

3 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

4 profess   

v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰

参考例句：

• I profess that I was surprised at the news.我承认这消息使我惊讶。
• What religion does he profess?他信仰哪种宗教？

5 quarries   

n.（采）石场( quarry的名词复数 )；猎物（指鸟，兽等）；方形石；（格窗等的）方形玻璃v.从采石场采得( quarry的第三人称单数 )；从（书本等中）努力发掘（资料等）；在采石场采石

参考例句：

• This window was filled with old painted glass in quarries. 这窗户是由旧日的彩色菱形玻璃装配的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They hewed out the stones for the building from nearby quarries. 他们从邻近的采石场开凿出石头供建造那栋房子用。 来自辞典例句

6 gorge   

n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃

参考例句：

• East of the gorge leveled out.峡谷东面地势变得平坦起来。
• It made my gorge rise to hear the news.这消息令我作呕。

7 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。