The Ballad of Abraham and Isaac copyright sam steffen 2014
God called to Abraham, said “Abraham, my son,”
Abraham said, “Here I am—what is it you want done?”
Said, “Abraham, the time has come,
go and get me your dearest son,
And by tomorrow’s setting sun—
I want you to offer him up to me.”
Well Abraham he went on home, and he sat down to his supper
Sarah asked him what he’d done, as he looked so pale and sober
He said, “I’ve done nothing, that’s just it
I must be dreaming or getting sick
I think I just need to lie down quick!”
And he got up from the table
That night he did not sleep a wink, but he lay in his bed tryin
The only thoughts that he could think, were of his young son’s lonesome dyin
For his life he couldn’t understand
Why it had to be by his own hand
Why this had been his Lord’s command—
He couldn’t think of any reason
Next morning, early, he arose—well before the sun had risen
Put on his hat and his morning clothes—brought along a knapsack with him
Then he stole into Isaac’s room
Brought him out beneath the moon
And like a corpse, fresh for the tomb
Isaac went on sleepin
“Lord,” he said, “I’m beggin you—if ever you’ve been with me
For what I am about to do, I hope you will forgive me,”
Then Isaac, who had just woke up
Said, “Forgive you, father? But for what?”
He said, “Son, you know I’d tell you but—
Myself, I do not know yet.”
Then Abraham he told his son of a journey he was makin
He said “If you choose I’ll let you come, but it has no destination
Bring up a mule and pack a tent,
A rope, some tinder and some flint,”
And obediently, Isaac went
To do as he was bidden
Then Abraham to Isaac called, “Isaac my dear son,”
Isaac answered, “Here I am—what is it you want done?”
He said, “Isaac, now the time has come
Go and get me my Remington
The very best of all my guns
And offer it up to me.”
Well the rode until their shadows grew much taller than their figures
The frigid autumn evening blew the leaves against dead fixtures
And when the sky had turned to red
Abraham to Isaac turned his head
“Gather up some wood,” he said
“Here’s where we’ll build the altar.”
“What will be our offering?” Isaac asked unto his father
“A lamb to kill we didn’t bring.” Abe said, “We needn’t bother,
What we brought will be just fine,
Now hurry up, there ain’t much time,”
And while Isaac went for some wood to find
Abe loaded up his rifle
Isaac left and then came running back, crying, “Father! Please come quickly,
I’ve spied a deer in a bramble patch—he’s caught up well and thickly,”
Abraham said, “Show me where,”
Isaac took him, said “Right there,”
And sure enough, within a snare
A healthy deer was struggling.
Abraham said, “Lord, my God—if ever you’ve been with me
For what I am about to do, I hope you will forgive me
I don’t pretend to understand
Why you gave me that command
But if I do or don’t I’m damned—
This is my situation.”
And sayin that he raised his gun and laid his cheek against the barrel
In his range were both his dearest son and the deer so wild and feral
For a moment he observed the scene
Like a man who can’t decide between
Who needs someone to intervene
To make his decision for him.
But from the sky no angel came to stay his quaking finger
No spirit Abraham could name brought his hot hand to the trigger
And midst the depths of his deepest doubt
“Shoot, father!” Isaac shouted out
And from the woods one shot rang out
Followed closely by another.
And whether he first shot the deer, thinking that would be sufficient
And afterwards shot the boy when he realized that it wasn’t
Or whether he first killed his son,
then himself when he realized what he’d done
Or fired twice at the setting sun
To this day, there is no telling.
Sam Steffen is a Pennsylvania-bred, Boise-based singer-songwriter whose songs are the torch-wood for a new generation of
folk music that has learned from the best stuff in the tradition and aims in spite of everything to keep the human spirit alive and kicking. A versatile musician and skilled finger-picker, Sam is at heart a story-teller, and a prolific one....more
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