black tides ebbed beneath the heavens. The Just God turned the
waters again from His children and stilled the downpour of the
rains. Foamy-necked the ship fared on an hundred and fifty
nights beneath the heavens, after the flood had lifted up that
best of vessels with its well-nailed sides -- until at last the
appointed number of the days of wrath were passed away.

(ll. 1421-1430) And the ark of Noah, the greatest of seahomes,
with its burden, rested high upon the hills which are called
Armenia. There the holy son of Lamech waited many days for God's
faithful covenant to be fulfilled, when the Warden of life, the
Lord Almighty, would give him respite from the perils he had
suffered while the black waves bore him far and wide upon the
waters over the spacious earth.

(ll. 1431-1448) The floods receded, and those sea-tossed men,
together with their wives, longed for the hour when they might
leave their narrow home, and step across the well-nailed sides
upon the shore, and from their prison lead out their possessions.
And Noah, the helmsman of the ark, made trial whether the
seafloods yet were ebbing under heaven. After many days, while
the high hills yet harboured the seed and treasure of the tribes
of earth, the son of Lamech let a dusky raven fly forth from the
ark over the deep flood. And Noah was sure that in its need, if
so be it should find no land upon this journey, the raven would
return to him again within the ark across the wide water. But
Noah's hope failed him! Exulting the raven perched upon the
floating bodies of the dead; the black-winged bird would not
return.