Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMY, FOR MOST PART ACCORDING TO TREMELIUS: 2, by JOHN DONNE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE LAMENTATIONS OF JEREMY, FOR MOST PART ACCORDING TO TREMELIUS: 2, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: How over sions daughter hath god hung
Last Line: Brought up, did perish by mine enemie.


1 How over Sions daughter hath God hung
His wraths thicke cloud! and from heaven hath flung
To earth the beauty of Israel, and hath
Forgot his foot-stoole in the day of wrath!

2 The Lord unsparingly hath swallowed
All Jacobs dwellings, and demolished
To ground the strengths of Juda, and prophan'd
The Princes of the Kingdome, and the land.

3 In heat of wrath, the horne of Israel hee
Hath cleane cut off, and lest the enemie
Be hindred, his right hand he doth retire,
But is towards Jacob, All-devouring fire.

4 Like to an enemie he bent his bow,
His right hand was in posture of a foe,
To kill what Sions daughter did desire,
'Gainst whom his wrath, he poured forth, like fire.

5 For like an enemie Jehova is,
Devouring Israel, and his Palaces,
Destroying holds, giving additions
To Juda's daughters lamentations.

6 Like to a garden hedge he hath cast downe
The place where was his congregation,
And Sions 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 hand 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 levell Sions walls unto the ground;
He drawes not back his hand, which doth oreturne
The wall, and Rampart, which together mourne.

9 Their gates are sunke into the ground, and hee
Hath broke the barres; their King and Princes bee
Amongst the heathen, without law, nor there
Unto their Prophets doth the Lord appeare.

10 There Sions Elders on the ground are plac'd,
And silence keepe; Dust on their heads they cast,
In sackcloth have they girt themselves, and low
The Virgins towards ground, their heads do throw.

11 My bowells are growne muddy, and mine eyes
Are faint with weeping: and my liver lies
Pour'd out upon the ground, for miserie
That sucking children in the streets doe die.

12 When they had cryed unto their Mothers, where
Shall we have bread, and drinke? they fainted there,
And in the streets like wounded persons lay
Till 'twixt their mothers breasts they went away.

13 Daughter Jerusalem, Oh what may bee
A witnesse, or comparison for thee?
Sion, to ease thee, what shall I name like thee?
Thy breach is like the sea, what help can bee?

14 For thee vaine foolish things thy Prophets sought,
Thee, thine iniquities they have not taught,
Which might disturne thy bondage: but for thee
False burthens, and false causes they would see.

15 The passengers doe clap their hands, and hisse,
And wag their head at thee, and say, Is this
That citie, which so many men did call
Joy of the earth, and perfectest of all?

16 Thy foes doe gape upon thee, and they hisse,
And gnash their teeth, and say, Devoure wee this,
For this is certainly the day which wee
Expected, and which now we finde, and see.

17 The Lord hath done that which he purposed,
Fulfill'd his word of old determined;
He hath throwne downe, and not spar'd, and thy foe
Made glad above thee, and advanc'd him so.

18 But now, their hearts against the Lord do call,
Therefore, O walls of Sion, let teares fall
Downe like a river, day and night; take thee
No rest, but let thine eye incessant be.

19 Arise, cry in the night, poure, for thy sinnes,
Thy heart, like water, when the watch begins;
Lift up thy hands to God, lest children dye,
Which, faint for hunger, in the streets doe lye.

20 Behold O Lord, consider unto whom
Thou hast done this; what, shall the women come
To eate their children of a spanne? shall thy
Prophet and Priest be slaine in Sanctuary?

21 On ground in streets, the yong and old do lye,
My virgins and yong men by sword do dye;
Them in the day of thy wrath thou hast slaine,
Nothing did thee from killing them containe.

22 As to a solemne feast, all whom I fear'd
Thou call'st about mee; when thy wrath appear'd,
None did remaine or scape, for those which I
Brought up, did perish by mine enemie.





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