CHAP. I.
I. HOW sits this city, late most populous,
Thus solitary, and like a widow thus ?
Amplest of nations, queen of provinces
She was, who now thus tributary is ?
2. Still in the night she weeps, and her tears fall
Down by her cheeks along, and none of all
Her lovers comfort her ; perfidiously
Her friends have dealt, and now are enemy.
3. Unto great bondage, and afflictions,
Judah is captive led ; those nations
With whom she dwells, no place of rest afford ;
In straits she meets her persecutors’ sword.
4. Empty are the gates of Sion, and her ways
Mourn, because none come to her solemn days.
Her priests do groan, her maids are comfortless ;
And she’s unto herself a bitterness.
5. Her foes are grown her head, and live at peace,
Because, when her transgressions did increase,
The Lord strook her with sadness ; the enemy
Doth drive her children to captivity.
6. From Sion’s daughter is all beauty gone ;
Like harts which seek for pasture, and find none,
Her princes are ; and now before the foe
Which still pursues them, without strength they go.
7. Now in their days of tears, Jerusalem
-Her men slain by the foe, none succouring them-
Remembers what of old she esteemed most,
Whiles her foes laugh at her, for what she hath lost.
8. Jerusalem hath sinn’d, therefore is she
Removed, as women in uncleanness be ;
Who honour’d, scorn her, for her foulness they
Have seen ; herself doth groan, and turn away.
9. Her foulness in her skirts was seen, yet she
Remember’d not her end ; miraculously
Therefore she fell, none comforting ; behold,
O Lord, my affliction, for the foe grows bold.
10. Upon all things where her delight hath been,
The foe hath stretch’d his hand, for she hath seen
Heathen, whom thou command’st, should not do so,
Into her holy sanctuary go.
11. And all her people groan, and seek for bread ;
And they have given, only to be fed,
All precious things, wherein their pleasure lay ;
How cheap I’m grown, O Lord, behold, and weigh.
12. All this concerns not you, who pass by me ;
O see, and mark if any sorrow be
Like to my sorrow, which Jehovah hath
Done to me in the day of His fierce wrath ?
13. That fire, which by Himself is governed
He hath cast from heaven on my bones, and spread
A net before my feet, and me o’erthrown,
And made me languish all the day alone.
14. His hand hath of my sins fram
(John Donne)
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Based on Topics: Night Poems, Sadness Poems, War & Peace Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Fire Poems, Cities Poems, Daughters Poems, Enemy PoemsBased on Keywords: foulness, uncleanness, persecutors, perfidiously, succouring