Herods Lament for Mariamne
by George Gordon, Lord Byron
(From Hebrew Melodies - 1815)
1
- Oh, Mariamne! now for thee
- The heart of which thou bledst is bleeding;
- Revenge is lost in agony,
- And wild remorse to rage succeeding.
- Oh, Mariamne! where art thou?
- Thou canst not hear my bitter pleading:
- Ah! couldst thouthou wouldst pardon now,
- Though heaven were to my prayer unheeding.
2
- And is she dead?and did they dare
- Obey my phrensys jealous raving?
- My wrath but doomd my own despair:
- The sword that smote hers oer me waving.
- But thou art cold, my murdered love!
- And this dark heart is vainly craving
- For her who soars alone above,
- And leaves my soul unworthy saving.
3
- Shes gone, who shared my diadem;
- She sunk, with her my joys entombing;
- I swept that flower from Judahs stem
- Whose leaves for me alone were blooming,
- And mines the guilt, and mine the hell,
- This bosoms desolation dooming;
- And I have earnd those tortures well,
- Which unconsumed are still consuming!
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