Report From The Besieged City Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BC DEF GHI JKLABMBBNO P QRSPTUV KWXJYZPPA2PN B2BC2D2E2F2G2KPH2 PH2H2 BI2H2J2K K2G2M| Too old to carry arms and fight like the others | A |
| - | |
| they graciously gave me the inferior role of chronicler | B |
| I record I don't know for whom the history of the siege | C |
| - | |
| I am supposed to be exact but I don't know when the invasion began | D |
| two hundred years ago in December in September perhaps yesterday at dawn | E |
| everyone here suffers from a loss of the sense of time | F |
| - | |
| all we have left is the place the attachment to the place | G |
| we still rule over the ruins of temples spectres of gardens and houses | H |
| if we lose the ruins nothing will be left | I |
| - | |
| I write as I can in the rhythm of interminable weeks | J |
| monday empty storehouses a rat became the unit of currency | K |
| tuesday the mayor murdered by unknown assailants | L |
| wednesday negotiations for a cease fire the enemy has imprisoned our messengers | A |
| we don't know where they are held that is the place of torture | B |
| thursday after a stormy meeting a majority of voices rejected | M |
| the motion of the spice merchants for unconditional surrender | B |
| friday the beginning of the plague saturday our invincible defender | B |
| N N committed suicide sunday no more water we drove back | N |
| an attack at the eastern gate called the Gate of the Alliance | O |
| - | |
| all of this is monotonous I know it can't move anyone | P |
| - | |
| I avoid any commentary I keep a tight hold on my emotions I write about the facts | Q |
| only they it seems are appreciated in foreign markets | R |
| yet with a certain pride I would like to inform the world | S |
| that thanks to the war we have raised a new species of children | P |
| our children don t like fairy tales they play at killing | T |
| awake and asleep they dream of soup of bread and bones | U |
| just like dogs and cats | V |
| - | |
| in the evening I like to wander near the outposts of the city | K |
| along the frontier of our uncertain freedom | W |
| I look at the swarms of soldiers below their lights | X |
| I listen to the noise of drums barbarian shrieks | J |
| truly it is inconceivable the City is still defending itself | Y |
| the siege has lasted a long time the enemies must take turns | Z |
| nothing unites them except the desire for our extermination | P |
| Goths the Tartars Swedes troops of the Emperor regiments of the Transfiguration | P |
| who can count them | A2 |
| the colours of their banners change like the forest on the horizon | P |
| from delicate bird's yellow in spring through green through red to winter's black | N |
| - | |
| and so in the evening released from facts I can think | B2 |
| about distant ancient matters for example our | B |
| friends beyond the sea I know they sincerely sympathize | C2 |
| they send us flour lard sacks of comfort and good advice | D2 |
| they don t even know their fathers betrayed us | E2 |
| our former allies at the time of the second Apocalypse | F2 |
| their sons are blameless they deserve our gratitude therefore we are grateful | G2 |
| they have not experienced a siege as long as eternity | K |
| those struck by misfortune are always alone | P |
| the defenders of the Dalai Lama the Kurds the Afghan mountaineers | H2 |
| - | |
| now as I write these words the advocates of conciliation | P |
| have won the upper hand over the party of inflexibles | H2 |
| a normal hesitation of moods fate still hangs in the balance | H2 |
| - | |
| cemeteries grow larger the number of defenders is smaller | B |
| yet the defence continues it will continue to the end | I2 |
| and if the City falls but a single man escapes | H2 |
| he will carry the City within himself on the roads of exile | J2 |
| he will be the City | K |
| - | |
| we look in the face of hunger the face of fire face of death | K2 |
| worst of all the face of betrayal | G2 |
| and only our dreams have not been humiliated | M |
Zbigniew Herbert
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
About Report From The Besieged City
Report From The Besieged City is a poem by Zbigniew Herbert. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
Write your comment about Report From The Besieged City poem by Zbigniew Herbert
Best Poems of Zbigniew Herbert