LITMIR.BIZ

           Like tumbled waves, which a huge rock surround;

           Like heaps of ruined towers which strew the ground,

               See Babel now deserted and dismayed!

           Huge witness to the folly of mankind;

           Four distant mountains when the moonlight shined

               Seem covered with its shade.

           O'er miles and miles the shattered ruins spread

           Beneath its base, from captive tempests bred,

               The air seemed filled with harmony strange and dire;

           While swarmed around the entire human race

           A future Babel, on the world's whole space

               Fixed its eternal spire.

           Up to the zenith rose its lengthening stair,

           While each great granite mountain lent a share

               To form a stepping base;

           Height upon height repeated seemed to rise,

           For pyramid on pyramid the strainèd eyes

               Saw take their ceaseless place.

           Through yawning walls huge elephants stalked by;

           Under dark pillars rose a forestry,

               Pillars by madness multiplied;

           As round some giant hive, all day and night,

           Huge vultures, and red eagles' wheeling flight

               Was through each porch descried.

           "Must I complete it?" said the angered cloud.

           "On still!" "Lord, whither?" groaned it, deep not loud.

           Two cities, strange, unknown in history's page,

           Up to the clouds seemed scaling, stage by stage,

           Noiseless their streets; their sleeping inmates lie,

           Their gods, their chariots, in obscurity!

           Like sisters sleeping 'neath the same moonlight,

           O'er their twin towers crept the shades of night,

           Whilst scarce distinguished in the black profound,

           Stairs, aqueducts, great pillars, gleamed around,

           And ruined capitals: then was seen a group

           Of granite elephants 'neath a dome to stoop,

           Shapeless, giant forms to view arise,

           Monsters around, the spawn of hideous ties!

           Then hanging gardens, with flowers and galleries:

           O'er vast fountains bending grew ebon-trees;

           Temples, where seated on their rich tiled thrones,

           Bull-headed idols shone in jasper stones;

           Vast halls, spanned by one block, where watch and stare

           Each upon each, with straight and moveless glare,

           Colossal heads in circles; the eye sees

           Great gods of bronze, their hands upon their knees.

           Sight seemed confounded, and to have lost its powers,

           'Midst bridges, aqueducts, arches, and round towers,

           Whilst unknown shapes fill up the devious views

           Formed by these palaces and avenues.

           Like capes, the lengthening shadows seem to rise

           Of these dark buildings, pointed to the skies,

           Immense entanglement in shroud of gloom!

           The stars which gleamed in the empyrean dome,

           Under the thousand arches in heaven's space

           Shone as through meshes of the blackest lace.

           Cities of hell, with foul desires demented,

           And monstrous pleasures, hour by hour invented!

           Each roof and home some monstrous mystery bore!

           Which through the world spread like a twofold sore!

           Yet all things slept, and scarce some pale late light

           Flitted along the streets through the still night,

           Lamps of debauch, forgotten and alone,

           The feast's lost fires left there to flicker on;

           The walls' large angles clove the light-lengthening shades

           'Neath the white moon, or on some pool's face played.

           Perchance one heard, faint in the plain beneath,

           The kiss suppressed, the mingling of the breath;

           And the two sister cities, tired of heat,

           In love's embrace lay down in murmurs sweet!

           Whilst sighing winds the scent of sycamore

           From Sodom to Gomorrah softly bore!

           Then over all spread out the blackened cloud,

           "'Tis here!" the Voice on high exclaimed aloud.

           From a cavern wide

           In the rent cloud's side,

           In sulphurous showers

           The red flame pours.

           The palaces fall

             In the lurid light,

           Which casts a red pall

             O'er their facades white!

           Oh, Sodom! Gomorrah!

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