My thoughts were vain.”  With that his father said,
“Whatever of blessing Thou reserv’st for me,
God! if Thou wilt not give to both, give here: 
Bless him with both Thy hands”; and laid his own
On Japhet’s head. 
                   Then Japhet looked on him,
Made quiet by content, and answered low,
With faltering laughter, glad and reverent:  “Sir,
You are my father?” “Ay,” quoth he, “I am! 
Kiss me, my son; and let me hear my name,
My much desired name, from your dear lips.”

Then after, rested, they betook them home: 
And Japhet, walking by the Master, thought,
“I did not will to love this sire of mine;
But now I feel as if I had always known
And loved him well; truly, I see not why,
But I would rather serve him than go free
With my two brethren.”  And he said to him,
“Father!”—­who answered, “I am here, my son.” 
And Japhet said, “I pray you, sir, attend
To this my answer:  let me go with you,
For, now I think on it, I do not love
The chase, nor managing the steed, nor yet
The arrows and the bow; but rather you,
For all you do and say, and you yourself,
Are goodly and delightsome in mine eyes. 
I pray you, sir, when you go forth again,
That I may also go.”  And he replied,
“I will tell thy speech unto the Highest; He
Shall answer it.  But I would speak to thee
Now of the days to come.  Know thou, most dear
To this thy father, that the drenched world,
When risen clean washed from water, shall receive
From thee her lordliest governors, from thee
Daughters of noblest soul.” 
                             So Japhet said,
“Sir, I am young, but of my mother straight
I will go ask a wife, that this may be. 
I pray you, therefore, as the manner is
Of fathers, give me land that I may reap
Corn for sustaining of my wife, and bruise
The fruit of the vine to cheer her.”  But he said,
“Dost thou forget? or dost thou not believe,
My son?” He answered, “I did ne’er believe,
My father, ere to-day; but now, methinks,
Whatever thou believest I believe,
For thy beloved sake.  If this then be
As thou (I hear) hast said, and earth doth bear
The last of her wheat harvests, and make ripe
The latest of her grapes; yet hear me, sir,
None of the daughters shall be given to me
If I be landless.”  Then his father said,
“Lift up thine eyes toward the north, my son”
And so he did.  “Behold thy heritage!”
Quoth the world’s prince and master, “far away
Upon the side o’ the north, where green the field
Lies every season through, and where the dews
Of heaven are wholesome, shall thy children reign;
I part it to them, for the earth is mine;
The Highest gave it me:  I make it theirs. 
Moreover, for thy marriage gift, behold
The cedars where thou sleepedst!  There are vines;
And up the rise is growing wheat.  I give
(For all, alas! is mine),—­I give thee both
For dowry, and my blessing.” 
                              And he said,
“Sir, you are good, and therefore the Most High
Shall bless me also.  Sir, I love you well.”