Part 3
The Medes and Persians thundered at the gates
Impregnable and flawless as the clouds.
And Babylon defied them, for the town
Was sacred as her temples and her gods.
And Cyrus, the invader, knew this thing,
But still would linger prancing near the walls,
Watching his soldiers die by snakes and pest,
While Babylon grew merry, knowing it.
Bel-shar-uzzur, the monarch, in his halls
Of plated pillars and enameled brick,
Gave a great feast unto a thousand lords,
And sat, a god of glory, on his throne
Of carvéd wood draped in embroidered cloth,
Tasseled, and fringed, and glittering with gold.
He held two arrows in his perfumed hand,
For he was king, and eunuchs by his side
Fanned him and held the scented napkins near,
While Alca nestled at his jeweled feet,
And her great eyes were beautiful with flame.
The king was warm with wine, and he arose,
Praising the gods of silver and of gold,
Ay! and his gods of brass, and wood, and stone,
And cried: “Is this not Babylon the great,
The glory of the East, the queen of towns?”
And purpled by soft wines he proudly sang:
“I have my thousands slain!
The sun on my domain
Sets never!
My glory and my fame,
The terror of my name,
Consuming like a flame,
Will last forever!
“For multitudes of days
I listen to the praise
Incessant
That rises from my land
To the Egyptian sand;
The terror of my hand
Is ever present!
“To keep me gemmed and oiled,
My myriads have toiled
And striven,
And my victorious star,
As pure as pure Ishtàr,
All enemies afar
Has driven!
“This holy night we use
The vessels by the Jews
Once cherished!
The king, now dead, my sire,
Seized them for his desire:
Jerusalem in fire
And famine perished!
“Before me it is death
To speak above a breath.
My glory
Is as god Adar's vast!
And when my hours have passed,
Immortal it will last
On bricks, in story!
“My beauty is Ishtàr's;
In me the seven stars
Are blended,
And in my perfect face
Divinity I trace.
From mighty Nimrod's race
I am descended!
“From Resen and Ashur,
From Opis and Nipur,
My praises,
Over vast mountains blown,
Assault my august throne;
The fear I cause alone
The world amazes!
“My troops allegiance swear
With the o'erwhelming blare
Of trumpets.
While I, in bliss complete,
Sing, with my perfumed feet
Upon the bellies sweet
Of rosy strumpets!
“I bid a thousand slaves
To dig their own foul graves
Assemble.
All nations hail my worth,
And at my nod all earth
Since my celestial birth
Doth deer-like tremble!
“I have my thousands slain!
The sun on my domain
Sets never!
My glory and my fame,
The terror of my name,
Consuming like a flame,
Will last forever!”
And lo! the monarch turned unto his guests
And bade his household laugh, and thereby brake
The grave tradition, which forbade a man
To laugh within the presence of the king.
Therefore the dignitaries of the realm,
Assembled in the cedar banquet hall,
Arose and sang to his delighted ear:
Impregnable and flawless as the clouds.
And Babylon defied them, for the town
Was sacred as her temples and her gods.
And Cyrus, the invader, knew this thing,
But still would linger prancing near the walls,
Watching his soldiers die by snakes and pest,
While Babylon grew merry, knowing it.
Bel-shar-uzzur, the monarch, in his halls
Of plated pillars and enameled brick,
Gave a great feast unto a thousand lords,
And sat, a god of glory, on his throne
Of carvéd wood draped in embroidered cloth,
Tasseled, and fringed, and glittering with gold.
He held two arrows in his perfumed hand,
For he was king, and eunuchs by his side
Fanned him and held the scented napkins near,
While Alca nestled at his jeweled feet,
And her great eyes were beautiful with flame.
The king was warm with wine, and he arose,
Praising the gods of silver and of gold,
Ay! and his gods of brass, and wood, and stone,
And cried: “Is this not Babylon the great,
The glory of the East, the queen of towns?”
And purpled by soft wines he proudly sang:
“I have my thousands slain!
The sun on my domain
Sets never!
My glory and my fame,
The terror of my name,
Consuming like a flame,
Will last forever!
“For multitudes of days
I listen to the praise
Incessant
That rises from my land
To the Egyptian sand;
The terror of my hand
Is ever present!
“To keep me gemmed and oiled,
My myriads have toiled
And striven,
And my victorious star,
As pure as pure Ishtàr,
All enemies afar
Has driven!
“This holy night we use
The vessels by the Jews
Once cherished!
The king, now dead, my sire,
Seized them for his desire:
Jerusalem in fire
And famine perished!
“Before me it is death
To speak above a breath.
My glory
Is as god Adar's vast!
And when my hours have passed,
Immortal it will last
On bricks, in story!
“My beauty is Ishtàr's;
In me the seven stars
Are blended,
And in my perfect face
Divinity I trace.
From mighty Nimrod's race
I am descended!
“From Resen and Ashur,
From Opis and Nipur,
My praises,
Over vast mountains blown,
Assault my august throne;
The fear I cause alone
The world amazes!
“My troops allegiance swear
With the o'erwhelming blare
Of trumpets.
While I, in bliss complete,
Sing, with my perfumed feet
Upon the bellies sweet
Of rosy strumpets!
“I bid a thousand slaves
To dig their own foul graves
Assemble.
All nations hail my worth,
And at my nod all earth
Since my celestial birth
Doth deer-like tremble!
“I have my thousands slain!
The sun on my domain
Sets never!
My glory and my fame,
The terror of my name,
Consuming like a flame,
Will last forever!”
And lo! the monarch turned unto his guests
And bade his household laugh, and thereby brake
The grave tradition, which forbade a man
To laugh within the presence of the king.
Therefore the dignitaries of the realm,
Assembled in the cedar banquet hall,
Arose and sang to his delighted ear:
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.