Classic Poem

ALEPH .

How doth the Lord a cloud of wrath
O'er Zion's daughters spread,
And down from heav'n to earth beneath,
Fair Isra'l's pomp degrade.

Regardless of his temple gay,
How has he quite forgot
His sacred footstool, in his day
Of indignation hot.

Beth .

The Lord hath Jacob's dwellings all
Devour'd and pity'd none;
He Judah's bulwarks, great and small,
Down in his wrath hath thrown;

He level with the ground them laid,
Their princes too were preys;
Them and the kingdom both he made
Polluted cast-aways.

G IMEL .

All Isra'l's born, in wrath he cut
Quite off till pow'r was lost;
And back his right-hand vigour put,
Before the adverse host.

On ev'ry side he set his ire
A-burning to the ground,
'Gainst Jacob like a flaming fire,
Devouring all around.

D ALETH .

Like to an adversary grand,
He bent his mighty bow;
Stood wrathful-like, with his right hand
Stretch'd for the fatal blow:

He all our pleasant ones devour'd,
And slew our eyes' desire:
In Zion's daughter's tents he pour'd
His fury out like fire.

H E .

All Isra'l's palaces and stays,
And strengths to ruin go;
Her forts demolish'd are, because
Jehovah was a foe;

Backsliding Judah too her share
Of heaviness possess'd;
For woeful lamentations there
And mourning he increas'd.

V AU .

He like a garden-tent hath pull'd
His tabernacle down;
His oft assembling courts annull'd
His synagogues o'erthrown.

God caus'd in Zion solemn feasts
And Sabaths be forgot;
And hath despis'd both king and priests
In's fury burning hot.

Z AIN .

The Lord his altar did disown,
His sanctuary abhor;
Shut up, and set her foes upon
Her palace-walls to roar:

Within the house of God have they
Profanely made a noise,
As when his folk did on the day
Of solemn feasts rejoice.

C HETH .

God Zion's walls and ramparts all,
Had purpos'd to destroy;
Stretched out a line, nor did recall
His hand from this employ.

He therefore going on hath made
Her bulwarks to lament;
Together dash'd they languished,
Their fortitude was spent.

T ETH .

Sunk into rubbish are her gates,
Her bars entirely broke:
Yea, now her king and potentates,
Groan in the Gentiles' yoke:

The law's no more, which once her mind
With sacred lessons stor'd;
Her seers mourn, her prophets find
No vision from the Lord.

JOD .

Now, Zion's elders on the ground
Sit down, and silence keep:
They cast up dost their heads around,
And girt with sackcloth weep:

Proud dames who did in pompous weeds,
Vain admiration claim;
Ev'n Salem's virgins hang their heads
Down to the ground for shame.

C APH .

With tears consum'd are both mine eyes;
Pain'd are my bowels all;
Pour'd on the earth my liver lies,
For Zion's daughter's thrall:

Because in dearth, provision spent,
The citizens decay;
Babes in the streets for hunger faint,
And sucklings swoon away.

L AMED .

The young ones to their mothers cry,
" O where's our former share
Of corn and wine, and such supply
As was our wonted fare! "

Scarce had they spoke, till in th' arrest,
As those in wounds of death,
They on their moaning mother's breast,
Pour'd out their dying breath.

M EM .

To match thy case, O Salem fair!
What equal shall I bring?
'Twere ease, could I thy woes compare
To any other thing.

O Zion! great's thy breach, that grows
Like vast sea-billow rounds:
Incomparable are thy woes,
Incurable thy wounds.

N UN .

Thy prophets false have seen for thee
Most foolish things and vain,
Thy sin they shew'd not faithfully
To turn away thy bane;

But have for thee false burdens seen,
False causes of thy woe,
And smoothing vice thy guilt to screen,
Have wrought their overthrow.

S AMEOH .

All passengers clap hands at thee,
'Gainst Salem they inveigh;
They shake their heads contempt'ously,
And mock, and hiss, and say.

" Is this the city so renown'd
We see in rubbish hurl'd,
The beauty with perfection crown'd
The joy of all the world? "

P E .

Thy cruel foes with wide mouth bray,
'Gainst thee their spite avow;
They gnash the teeth, and hissing say,
We have devour'd her now;

" This surely is the day that we
Expected for her fall;
We've found it now and gladly see
Our triumph in her thrall. "

A IN .

The Lord hath done what he ordain'd,
As he of old declar'd;
Fulfill'd the word of his command,
Cast down, and hath not spar'd:

O'er thee he made the foe in scorn,
To joy and be jocose;
He hath exalted high the horn
Of thy insulting foes.

T ZADE .

Their heart cry'd to the Lord, and said,
O Zion wall o'erthrown!
Let tears both day and night be shed,
And like a flood run down:

Allow thyself no rest, and let
The apple of thine eye
No pause or intermission get,
But weep incessantly.

K OPH .

Arise, and each night watch prevent,
Cry out thy woeful case;
Thine heart in floods of water vent
Before Jehovah's face.

For thy poor young ones' life intreat,
With hands uplifted high,
That on the top of every street
For hunger fainting die.

R ESH .

This thou hast done; mind, Lord, to whom,
O see! shall women eat
The span-long fruit of their own womb,
For very want of meat?

And shall, alas! the reverend train
And consecrated race,
The priest and prophet both be slain,
Within thy holy place?

S HIN .

Both young and old along the ground
Lie in the streets, O Lord;
My darling maids and youths are found
Slain by the bloody sword.

Foes are but weapons of thy wrath,
Thou slew'st, thou kill'dst them, Lord,
In thy avenging day that hath
No pity to afford.
T AU .

Thou hast, as in a solemn day,
My terrors call'd around,
That thus when wrath divine made way,
None to escape were found.

None left; yea, those whom I with care,
Had wrapt in swaddling-bands
And foster'd, by mine en'mies are
Consum'd with cruel hands.