The Rabbi at the Gates of Prague

The age-old Rabbi dreamed his dream Throughout the night of troubled sleep Of gold and silver buried deep Inside the clay outside the keep And under the pillars of the gates of Prague Under the pillars of the gates of Prague Across a barren land he came Through frontiers that were cold and chill Until he saw upon a hill A soldier trained to maim and kill Guarding the pillars of the gates of Prague Guarding the pillars of the gates of Prague It took a lifetime to explain The wherefore of his journey west But nothing moved the iron breast And laughter echoed from the jest Between the pillars of the gates of Prague Between the pillars of the gates of Prague "Such faith in you, you foolish Jew Are you," he asked in disbelief A fool or but a common thief There is no gold or silver leaf Beneath the pillars of the gates of Prague Beneath the pillars of the gates of Prague "I dreamed a dream," he mocked the sage "Of some old Rabbi from the East Who found a royal crown at least Beneath his door before a feast" So scoffed the soldier at the gates of Prague So scoffed the soldier at the gates of Prague The old man turned against the cold To face the barren waste ahead Yet faster came his weary tread When thinking what that soldier said Beside the pillars of the gates of Prague Beside the pillars of the gates of Prague Upon the day of Yom Kippur The Rabbi dug deep in the ground And there beneath his door, he found The diadem that David crowned And a light still burns above the gates of Prague Burns for the Rabbi at the gates of Prague A light still burns above the gates of Prague Burns for the Rabbi at the gates of Prague