thee

No more for thee shall flow luxurious drink . . .

Crowning her head with which she was by thee

Alas, alas for thee, unhappy heart!

Alas, alas for thee, O Lycia;

Against thee, mounting up of its own will

For sorcery, adulteries were with thee

And the river Tiber shall lament for thee,

His consort thee, who hast a blood-stained heart

Thee and all thine destroy, and in that land

Thou shalt be filled up with the dead; in thee

Shall burn thee whole. All-tearful Libya,

For thee? Thou shalt not even to the time

And he shall slaughter thee, thyself, Ravenna,

Which is ill thee; for when with pliant threads

Of mortals wished for thee? Who has not been

Embittered from within? Cast down ill thee

All that is fair, and by thee have been changed

And how dost thou say, "I will thee persuade,"

But thee shall glorious children honor much

And now thee, wretched Asia, piteously

Alas, alas for thee, O Sardis; and alas

Alas for thee, cease from thy revelry.

Beside the waters of Maeander, thee

Across thee; battle of the Thracians comes

For in thee mother with her child did hold

And in thee kings have their ill-fated mouth

Polluted, and in thee have wicked men

Of revelry; for by thee virgin maids

Before thee was a much-loved house of old

Alas, alas for thee, O Babylon,

Caused thee to stiffer all things. Hold thou fast

Phœnicia, dreadful wrath remains for thee,

Remembrance of thee over all the earth.

But those whom love of Egypt led to thee

Shall all lament thee badly; but who put

And who praised God, shall know thee to be naught.

But for thee only, Sodomitic land,

This shall bring evil woes about for thee.

God was outstretched; the earth shall not have thee,

O RHODES, thou art unhappy; for first thee,

Thee will I mourn; and thou shalt be the first

Shall sometime thee destroy; thee, Sicily,

Shall sometime thee destroy; thee, Sicily,

The fire that burns within thee shall consume.

Thee, wretched one, while many years roll round.

And over thee shall dash a wave of Lycus.

For a great fearful fire hangs over thee.

Shall see thee, nor thy ashes, and alone

Thee, the Word, Father, I sent forth a bird,

A stranger unto thee in need to curb

Stand still; to thee have I looked, unto thee,

Stand still; to thee have I looked, unto thee,

Shall sailors seek thee when thou art no more,

And o'er thee shall kingfishers wail sad dirge.

Beyond impassable Alp, thee deep sand

But God shall make thee utterly unknown,

Much more firm. Then to thee such things I'll cry.

In pain; a second time to thee, O Rome,

And now for thee, O wretched Syria,

Alas, alas for thee, thou wretched one;

There shall come to thee sometime from above

And be rased to the ground, and thee shall fire

What god shall save thee, whether wrought of gold

Shall be for thee no longer, nor shalt thou,

Alas, alas for thee, thou reckless land,

And gnashing of teeth, and thee noisily

When, taking thee by force, an ill-starred fate

Shall come upon thee and complete thy name.

Sometime that day to thee destructive, Rome,

Sowing piety, that also I to thee

Creation, fellow-counselor with thee,

We are commanded to sing praise to thee,

Will I again proclaim these things to thee.

Memphis, alas, alas for thee! alas,

And then to thee, O Median land, a man

Hast done before. Alas, alas for thee,

And he shall treat thee more despitefully

A powerful wild beast, even then for thee,

Alas, alas for thee, then Persian land;

Comes to thee; then I'll shout these things again.

Revolt of men around thee, then great land

Now over thee, O wretched Phrygia,

I weep in pity; for to thee from Greece,

Ilium, I pity thee; for there shall come

Shall she bring thee toils, troubles, groans, and wails,

To thee shall happen very many things.

Alas, alas for thee, O wretched Greece,

Alas, alas for thee, O Babylon,

To be unhappy; for on thee shall come

For thee, O dusky land, shall there be wars

Then, Egypt, know the king that comes to thee;

Shall surely come. For there shall be for thee,

Alas, alas for thee, ill-wedded bride,

And thee, the stately, shall the encircling tomb

Shall mourn thee and the dreadful king shall make

A piteous lamentation over thee.

Shall utterly destroy and send thee on

And know at last that God's wrath came to thee.

Begins the letters, and fast binding thee,

And every nation shall upon thee tread.