Mournful Memories

orchidee



Fits tune: Hanover

('O worship the King')

Psalm 137

********

1. By rivers of Babylon, there we sat down

Not joyful, but sad, beneath enemy's frown

Yes, we wept when we Zion's city recalled

Sat grieving, mourning, our faces were appalled

 

2. We hung up our harps on sad willow's tree

It bowed its poor boughs, no joys would there be

Yet they our captors requested a song bright

E'en though our souls heavy, encased in the night

 

3. They desired us be so mirthful and free

Sing us Zion's song, that their taunting plea

But how shall we sing the LORD's song in land strange?

Our homeland desolate, out of our sight's range

 

4. If I forget you, Jerusalem true

Let my hand forget its skills, not renew

If I not remember you, city of God great

Let tongue cleave to my mouth, let that be my fate

 

5. For I should esteem city of God high

Be it my chief joy, for there God is nigh

Remember, O LORD, our pains, enemies sore

Who would raze Jerusalem e'en to the floor

 

6. Edom, Babylon, you to be destroyed

With righteous judgements to you we have toyed

Though severe punishments, yet they just and fair

For this your reward be, in it you shall share

 

7. Happy they shall be, who do take and dash

Your little ones against stones, though seems rash

Yet this your reward, even as you us served

Justly and fairly disaster you deserved

 

  • Author: orchidee (Offline Offline)
  • Published: June 6th, 2017 08:44
  • Comment from author about the poem: A hymn-poem in 10.10.11.11. Not as joyful as the words of the original hymn, but the Jews are recalling their time in captivity in Babylon in this Psalm. The last verse is quite ghastly, yet that was the sort of thing their enemies seemed to be doing to them. Child-murders, chucking little children against rocks to kill them (gasp!).
  • Category: Spiritual
  • Views: 39
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Comments5

  • swingline

    The children of Isreal are a stiffnecked peope the Lord said to Moses .

    • orchidee

      Thanks Swing. Oohh, it's educational here too, innit?! What we can learn of one another. heehee. I admit it may be a bit of an odd tune for this hymn-poem. I tried to choose one not too joyful, but neither too lamentable, as there is the remembrance also of Zion, the hill on which Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel was built, and where God was said to 'dwell' in a special sense. The Jews had that seed of hope still, in that they longed to return to their homeland still.

    • Michael Edwards

      So well drafted as always but - yes - very dark.

      • orchidee

        Thanks M. From a maybe not particularly religious view, you may remember Boney M's song 'By the rivers of Babylon'. They made it seem a bit more joyful, I think, but did not trivialise it. For who would b joyful being in exile, with what seems like terrorist-type people - or at least some of the Babylonians seemed to be. The weeping willows symbolised the Jews state of no songs; harps for music hung up on the willow trees, not making any music.

      • Fay Slimm.

        A dark but powerful write.

        • orchidee

          Thanks Fay. I expect folk know that 'dark' isn't my usual style. Yet we know it' unreal to say life is always sweetness and light, or 'nice'.

        • Augustus

          This is truly beautiful and powerful. " "let my hand forget its skills. Let tongue cleave to mouth." Enjoyed.

          • orchidee

            Thanks A. Many of the words and phrases are taken from the Authorised/King James Version of the Bible -sos they're not 'original' to me in that sense.

          • Goldfinch60

            Another fine write Orchi.

            • orchidee

              Thanks G.



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