Classic Poem

Now God was angered at the vice of Sodom.
Each day her sins became more bold and grievous.
Lust was abroad upon her many highways,
And it was worshiped in a throng of temples.
So He resolved to chastise and to doom it
With scorching flame, alert and purifying.

And Abraham, a man of prayer and holy,
A friend to Lot, who loved him like a father,
Implored the Lord in humble intercession,
And stood before Him, desolate and anxious,
Crying: " O Lord! if Thou this town destroyest,
Thou mayest in Thy wrath destroy the guiltless,
Who much abhor the awful dereliction
Of their lost brethren, deaf to prayer or pity.
Spare Thou the town for their sake, oh Jehovah!
If in its tainted tents I can discover
Fifty whose hearts are pure, and peradventure
I may by such a proof appease Thy rancor! "
And God consented; then did Abraham boldly,
For his whole heart was beautiful and noble,
Implore again, braving the Lord's displeasure:
" For ten's sake only, wilt Thou still forgive it? "
Such was his tenderness for unhappy Sodom;
And the Lord listened and again consented
To count the upright souls and save the city.

Veiling their heavenly essence, vaguely hoping,
The angels passed into the town atrocious,
Seeking Lot's home for sympathy and shelter,
For they were beautiful in their disguises,
And roused swift passion in the men that saw them
Pass in grave radiance through the city's portals.
And Lot, bewildered by their coming, startled
By lustful cries of many at his doorway,
Concealed them in the darkness of his chamber,
And offered to the throng his nubile daughters;
Ay, for his hospitality was sacred,
And the vile rabble who had greatly lusted
For the white strangers, and their beauty only,
Hurried on elsewhere in their anger, baffled,
Cursed him aloud and spat upon his threshold.

Then came to Lot the pale, affrighted angels,
Saying: " Good man, thy life is now in danger!
Within these walls accursed can be no pardon,
The people for their infamy must perish;
Such is the will of the Lord God Jehovah!
And with our eyes we can not see salvation,
Nor have we now the power to avert destruction.
We must return to the Eternal Father,
For He hath spoken, and we know His meaning.
Sodom is doomed to be a smoking desert,
Shorn of its gods, its roses and its temples,
Covered with briars and labyrinths of brambles,
Stricken by scourging salt and burning sulphur,
And on its ruins there will be no planting,
Ay, on its ruins there will be no sowing!
Therefore we warn thee, for thy soul is righteous;
Arise and call thy family together,
Iscah and Milcah, thy devoted sisters,
And with them and the wife thou lovest, Ilcah:
Depart from out the city with great caution,
Ay, with thy flocks, ay, even with thy cattle,
And seek another land of grain and plenty.
Fear not, kind Lot, for Abraham will be near thee! "
And then, saluting Lot with smiling kindness,
They spread their wings and waved their white way upward!
And o'er the glare and tattle of the city,
Like a great star of light in woody darkness,
They paused and sang a piteous lamentation: