Classic and Contemporary Poetry
HARPS HUNG UP IN BABYLON, by ARTHUR WILLIS COLTON First Line: The harps hung up in babylon Last Line: "my soul that's lost in babylon." Subject(s): Babylon; Harps; Musical Instruments; Lyres | ||||||||
The harps hung up in Babylon, Their loosened strings rang on, sang on, And cast their murmurs forth upon The roll and roar of Babylon: "Forget me, Lord, if I forget Jerusalem for Babylon, If I forget the vision set High as the head of Lebanon Is lifted over Syria yet, If I forget and bow me down To brutish gods of Babylon." Two rivers to each other run In the very midst of Babylon, And Babylon's towers smite the sky, But higher reeks to God most high The smoke of her iniquity: "But oh, betwixt the green and blue To walk the hills that once we knew When you were pure and I was true," -- So rang the harps in Babylon -- "Or ere along the roads of stone Had led us captive one by one The subtle gods of Babylon." The harps hung up in Babylon Hung silent till the prophet dawn, When Judah's feet the highway burned Back to the holy hills returned, And shook their dust on Babylon. In Zion's halls the wild harps rang, To Zion's walls their smitten clang, And lo! of Babylon they sang, They only sang of Babylon: "Jehovah, round whose throne of awe The vassal starts their orbits draw Within the circle of Thy law, Canst thou make nothing what is done, Or cause Thy servant to be one That has not been in Babylon, That has not known the power and pain Of life poured out like driven rain? I will go down and find again My soul that's lost in Babylon." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GHOSTS LISTEN TO ORPHEUS SING by GREGORY ORR TO AN AEOLIAN HARP by SARA TEASDALE THE AEOLIAN HARP by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE THE MASTER-PLAYER by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR THE HARP by RALPH WALDO EMERSON THE AEOLIAN HARP; AT THE SURF INN by HERMAN MELVILLE THAT HARP YOU PLAY SO WELL by MARIANNE MOORE RUMORS FROM AN AEOLIAN HARP by HENRY DAVID THOREAU AEOLIAN HARP (1) by WILLIAM ALLINGHAM A SONG WITH A DISCORD by ARTHUR WILLIS COLTON CONCERNING TABITHA'S DANCING OF THE MINUET by ARTHUR WILLIS COLTON |
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