Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LINES FOR THE NINTH OF AB, by SOLOMON SOLIS-COHEN Poet's Biography First Line: Shall I sorrow, oh desolate city Last Line: "and keepas a shepherd his fold!" Alternate Author Name(s): Cohen, Solomon Solis Subject(s): God; Israel; Jews; Judaism | ||||||||
SHALL I sorrow, oh desolate city, For thy beauty and glory o'erthrown; Shall I sing the dread day of destruction, When thy sins thou didst dearly atone When the Lord, from the place He had chosen, Withdrew the strong shield of His Name, And its treasures were spoiled by the stranger, Its holiness given to shame When the shrieks of the daughters of Zion Sad echo'd the shouts of the foe, And thy streets, ravished City, ran crimson With the blood of thy sons, lying low When the scepter departed from Judah, From Levi his birthright was riven, And the people of God were led captive, Forsaken of earth and of Heaven! Or shall I rejoice in the beauty And glory again to be thine, When thy youth's loving Bridegroom shall ransom His promise of comfort, divine In the courts of God's temple rebuilded, Thy priests, morn and eve, shall proclaim "He is One!"and the sons of the stranger Shall answer: "And One is His Name!" With chorus of praise shall thy daughters Reëcho the Levites' glad song, And thy gates night and day shall stand open For the pilgrims that thitherward throng. For the scepter returneth to David, The miter to Aaron's proud line; And neighbour shall welcome his neighbour To the shadow of fig-tree and vine. Like Akiba, who laughed when the foxes Ran out from the Holiest place, Saying: "True were the warnings of evil And true is the promise of grace," My thoughts, on this day of sad memories, Turn not back to the past in despair, But forward in hope to the future Where visions of glory shine fair! When I read in the book of the prophet Who voiced fallen Zion's distress, I seek not alone words of grieving, But these rarer, that comfort and bless: "Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, In the isles afar off be it told; Who dispersed, will again gather Israel, And keepas a shepherd his fold!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL ADONAI MELECH by SOLOMON SOLIS-COHEN |
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