John Donne - Delphi Poets Series

by John Donne

  To see God only, I go out of sight;

  And to escape stormy days, I choose

  An everlasting night.

  THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMY, FOR THE MOST PART ACCORDING TO TREMELLIUS.

  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 framèd a yoke

  Which wreathed, and cast upon my neck, hath broke

  My strength; the Lord unto those enemies

  Hath given me, from whom I cannot rise.

  15. He under foot hath trodden in my sight

  My strong men; He did company accite

  To break my young men; He the winepress hath

  Trod upon Judah’s daughter in His wrath.

  16. For these things do I weep; mine eye, mine eye

  Casts water out; for He which should be nigh

  To comfort me, is now departed far;

  The foe prevails, forlorn my children are.

  17. There’s none, though Sion do stretch out her hand,

  To comfort her; it is the Lord’s command

  That Jacob’s foes girt him; Jerusalem

  Is as an unclean woman amongst them.

  18. But yet the Lord is just, and righteous still;

  I have rebell’d against His holy will;

  O hear all people, and my sorrow see,

  My maids, my young men in captivity.

  19. I called for my lovers then, but they

  Deceived me, and my priests, and elders lay

  Dead in the city; for they sought for meat

  Which should refresh their souls, and none could get.

  20. Because I am in straits, Jehovah, see!

  My heart o’erturn’d, my bowels muddy be;

  Because I have rebell’d so much, as fast

  The sword without, as death within, doth waste.

  21. Of all which here I mourn, none comforts me;

  My foes have heard my grief, and glad they be,

  That Thou hast done it; but Thy promised day

  Will come, when, as I suffer, so shall they.

  22. Let all their wickedness appear to Thee;

  Do unto them, as Thou hast done to me,

  For all my sins; the sighs which I have had

  Are very many, and my heart is sad.

  CHAP. II.

  I. HOW over Sion’s daughter hath God hung

  His wrath’s thick cloud? and from heaven hath flung

  To earth the beauty of Israel, and hath

  Forgot His foot-stool in the day of wrath?

  2. The Lord unsparingly hath swallowed

  All Jacob’s dwellings, and demolished

  To ground the strengths of Judah, and profaned

  The Princes of the kingdom, and the land.

  3. In heat of wrath, the horn of Israel He

  Hath clean cut off, and lest the enemy

  Be hinder’d, His right hand He doth retire,

  But is towards Jacob all-devouring fire.

  4. Like to an enemy He bent His bow;

  His right hand was in posture of a foe,

  To kill what Sion’s daughter did desire,

  ‘Gainst whom His wrath He poured forth like fire.

  5. For like an enemy Jehovah is,

  Devouring Israel, and his palaces,

  Destroying holds, giving additions

  To Judah’s daughters’ lamentations.

  6. Like to a garden hedge He hath cast down

  The place where was His congregation,

  And Sion’s feasts and sabbaths are forgot;

  Her King, her Priest, His wrath regardeth not.

  7. The Lord forsakes His altar, and detests

  His sanctuary, and in the foes’ hands rests

  His palace, and the walls, in which their cries

  Are heard, as in the true solemnities.

  8. The Lord hath cast a line, so to confound

  And level Sion’s walls unto the ground;

  He draws not back His hand, which doth o’erturn

  The wall, and rampart, which together mourn.

  9. Their gates are sunk into the ground, and He

  Hath broke the bar; their king and princes be

  Amongst the heathen, without law, nor there

  Unto their prophets doth the Lord appear.

  10. There Sion’s Elders on the ground are placed,

  And silence keep; dust on their heads they cast;

  In sackcloth have they girt themselves, and low

  The virgins towards ground their heads do throw.

  11. My bowels are grown muddy, and mine eyes

  Are faint with weeping; and my liver lies

  Pour’d out upon the ground, for misery

  That sucking children in the streets do die.

  12. When they had cryed unto their mothers, “Where

  Shall we have bread, and drink?” they fainted there,

  And in the streets like wounded persons lay,

  Till ‘twixt their mothers’ breasts they went away.

  13. Daughter Jerusalem, O what may be

  A witness, or comparison for thee?

>   Sion, to ease thee, what shall I name like thee?

  Thy breach is like the sea; what help can be?

  14. For thee vain foolish things thy prophets sought;

  Thee, thine iniquities they have not taught,

  Which might disturb thy bondage; but for thee

  False burthens, and false causes they would see.

  15. The passengers do clap their hands, and hiss

  And wag their head at thee, and say, “Is this

  That city, which so many men did call

  Joy of the earth, and perfectest of all?”

  16. Thy foes do gape upon thee, and they hiss,

  And gnash their teeth, and say, “Devour we this,

  For this is certainly the day which we

  Expected, and which now we find, and see.”

  17. The Lord hath done that which He purposèd;

  Fulfill’d His word of old determinèd;

  He hath thrown down, and not spared, and thy foe

  Made glad above thee, and advanced him so.

  18. But now their hearts unto the Lord do call;

  Therefore, O walls of Sion, let tears fall

  Down like a river, day and night; take thee

  No rest, but let thine eye incessant be.

  19. Arise, cry in the night, pour out thy sins,

  Thy heart, like water, when the watch begins;

  Lift up thy hands to God, lest children die,

  Which, faint for hunger, in the streets do lie.

  20. Behold, O Lord, consider unto whom

  Thou hast done this; what, shall the women come

  To eat their children of a span? shall Thy

  Prophet and priest be slain in sanctuary?

  21. On ground in streets the young and old do lie;

  My virgins and young men by sword do die;

  Them in the day of Thy wrath Thou hast slain;

  Nothing did Thee from killing them contain.

  22. As to a solemn feast, all whom I fear’d

  Thou call’st about me; when Thy wrath appear’d,

  None did remain or scape, for those which I

  Brought up, did perish by mine enemy.

  CHAP. III.

  1. I AM the man which have affliction seen,

  Under the rod of God’s wrath having been;

  2. He hath led me to darkness, not to light,

  3. And against me all day, His hand doth fight.

  4. He hath broke my bones, worn out my flesh and skin,

  5. Built up against me; and hath girt me in

  With hemlock, and with labour; 6. And set me

  In dark, as they who dead for ever be.

  7. He hath hedged me lest I ‘scape, and added more

  To my steel fetters heavier than before.

  8. When I cry out He outshuts my prayer; 9. And hath

  Stopp’d with hewn stone my way, and turn’d my path.

  10. And like a lion hid in secrecy,

  Or bear which lies in wait, He was to me.

  11. He stops my way, tears me, made desolate;

  12. And He makes me the mark He shooteth at.

  13. He made the children of His quiver pass

  Into my reins. 14. I, with my people, was

  All the day long, a song and mockery.

  15. He hath fill’d me with bitterness, and He

  Hath made me drunk with wormwood. 16. He hath burst

  My teeth with stones, and cover’d me with dust.

  17. And thus my soul far off from peace was set,

  And my prosperity I did forget.

  18. My strength, my hope — unto myself I said —

  Which from the Lord should come, is perished;

  19. But when my mournings I do think upon,

  My wormwood, hemlock, and affliction,

  20. My soul is humbled in rememb’ring this;

  21. My heart considers, therefore, hope there is.

  22. ‘Tis God’s great mercy we’re not utterly

  Consumed, for His compassions do not die;

  23. For every morning they renewed be,

  For great, O Lord, is Thy fidelity.

  24. The Lord is — saith my soul — my portion,

  And therefore in Him will I hope alone.

  25. The Lord is good to them, who on Him rely,

  And to the soul that seeks Him earnestly.

  26. It is both good to trust, and to attend

  The Lord’s salvation unto the end.

  27. ‘Tis good for one His yoke in youth to bear.

  28. He sits alone, and doth all speech forbear,

  Because he hath borne it. 29. And his mouth he lays

  Deep in the dust, yet then in hope he stays.

  30. He gives his cheeks to whosoever will

  Strike him, and so he is reproached still.

  31. For not for ever doth the Lord forsake;

  32. But when He hath struck with sadness, He doth take

  Compassion, as His mercy’s infinite;

  33. Nor is it with His heart, that He doth smite,

  34. That underfoot the prisoners stamped be,

  35. That a man’s right the judge himself doth see

  To be wrung from him; 36. That he subverted is

  In his just cause, the Lord allows not this.

  37. Who then will say, that aught doth come to pass,

  But that which by the Lord commanded was?

  38. Both good and evil from His mouth proceeds;

  39. Why then grieves any man for his misdeeds?

  40. Turn we to God, by trying out our ways;

  41. To Him in heav’n our hands with hearts upraise.

  42. We have rebell’d, and fallen away from Thee;

  Thou pardon’st not; 43. Usest no clemency;

  Pursuest us, kill’st us, cover’st us with wrath;

  44. Cover’st Thyself with clouds, that our prayer hath

  No power to pass. 45. And Thou hast made us fall

  As refuse, and off-scouring to them all.

  46. All our foes gape at us. 47. Fear and a snare

  With ruin, and with waste upon us are.

  48. With watery rivers doth mine eye o’erflow

  For ruin of my people’s daughters so;

  49. Mine eye doth drop down tears incessantly,

  50. Until the Lord look down from heav’n to see.

  51. And for my city daughters’ sake, mine eye

  Doth break mine heart. 52. Causeless mine enemy

  Like a bird chased me. 53. In a dungeon

  They’ve shut my life, and cast on me a stone.

  54. Waters flow’d o’er my head; then thought I, I am

  Destroy’d; 55. I called, Lord, upon Thy name

  Out of the pit; 56. And Thou my voice didst hear;

  O from my sigh and cry, stop not Thine ear.

  57. Then when I call’d upon Thee, Thou drew’st near

  Unto me, and said’st unto me, “Do not fear.”

  58. Thou, Lord, my soul’s cause handled hast, and Thou

  Rescuest my life. 59. O Lord, do Thou judge now.

  Thou heardst my wrong, 60. Their vengeance, all they’ve wrought;

  61. How they reproach’d, Thou’st heard, and what they thought;

  62. What their lips utter’d, which against me rose,

  And what was ever whisper’d by my foes.

  63. I am their song, whether they rise or sit;

  64. Give them rewards, Lord, for their working fit,

  65. Sorrow of heart, Thy curse; 66. And with Thy might

  Follow, and from under heaven destroy them quite.

  CHAP. IV.

  1. HOW is the gold become so dim? How is

  Purest and finest gold thus changed to this?

  The stones which were stones of the sanctuary,

  Scatter’d in corners of each street do lie.

  2. The precious sons of Sion, which should be

  Valued at purest gold, how do we see

  Low rated now, as
earthen pitchers, stand,

  Which are the work of a poor potter’s hand?

  3. Even the sea-calfs draw their breasts, and give

  Suck to their young; my people’s daughters live,

  By reason of the foes’ great cruelness,

  As do the owls in the vast wilderness.

  4. And when the sucking child doth strive to draw,

  His tongue for thirst cleaves to his upper jaw;

  And when for bread the children cry,

  There is no man that doth them satisfy.

  5. They which before were delicately fed,

  Now in the streets forlorn have perished;

  And they which ever were in scarlet clothed,

  Sit and embrace the dunghills which they loathed.

  6. The daughters of my people have sinn’d more,

  Than did the town of Sodom sin before;

  Which being at once destroy’d, there did remain

  No hands amongst them to vex them again.

  7. But heretofore, purer her Nazarite

  Was than the snow, and milk was not so white;

  As carbuncles did their pure bodies shine,

  And all their polish’dness was sapphirine.

  8. They’re darker now than blackness; none can know

  Them by the face, as through the street they go;

  For now their skin doth cleave unto their bone,

  And withered, is like to dry wood grown.

  9. Better by sword than famine ‘tis to die;

  And better through-pierced, than through penury.

  10. Women, by nature pitiful, have eat

  ‘Their children — dress’d with their own hand — for meat.

  11. Jehovah here fully accomplish’d hath

  His indignation, and pour’d forth His wrath;

  Kindled a fire in Sion, which hath power

  To eat, and her foundations to devour.

  12. Nor would the kings of th’ earth, nor all which live

  In the inhabitable world believe,

  That any adversary, any foe,

  Into Jerusalem should enter so.

  13. For the priests’ sins, and prophets’, which have shed

  Blood in the streets and the just murdered;

  14. Which, when those men whom they made blind did stray

  Thorough the streets, defilèd by the way

  With blood, the which impossible it was

  Their garment should ‘scape touching, as they pass,

  15. Would cry aloud, “Depart, defilèd men,

  Depart, depart, and touch not us!” and then

  They fled, and stray’d, and with the Gentiles were;

  Yet told their friends, they should not long dwell there.

  16. For this they’re scatter’d by Jehovah’s face

  Who never will regard them more; no grace

  Unto their old men shall the foe afford;

  Nor, that they’re priests, redeem them from the sword.