<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">Babylon</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line">If you could bring her glories back!</p><p class="line">You gentle sirs who sift the dust</p><p class="line">And burrow in the mould and must</p><p class="line">Of Babylon for bric-a-brac;</p><p class="line">Who catalogue and pigeon-hole</p><p class="line">The faded splendours of her soul</p><p class="line">And put her greatness under glass--</p><p class="line">If you could bring her past to pass!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">If you could bring her dead to life!</p><p class="line">The soldier lad ; the market wife;</p><p class="line">Madam buying fowls from her;</p><p class="line">Tip, the butcher's bandy cur;</p><p class="line">Workmen carting bricks and clay;</p><p class="line">Babel passing to and fro</p><p class="line">On the business of a day</p><p class="line">Gone three thousand years ago--</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">That you cannot; then be done,</p><p class="line">Put the goblet down again,</p><p class="line">Let the broken arch remain,</p><p class="line">Leave the dead men's dust alone--</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">Is it nothing how she lies,</p><p class="line">This old mother of you all,</p><p class="line">You great cities proud and tall</p><p class="line">Towering to a hundred skies</p><p class="line">Round a world she never knew,</p><p class="line">Is it nothing, this, to you ?</p><p class="line">Must the ghoulish work go on</p><p class="line">Till her very floors are gone ?</p><p class="line">While there's still a brick to save</p><p class="line">Drive these people from her grave!</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The Jewish seer when he cried</p><p class="line">Woe to Babel's lust and pride</p><p class="line">Saw the foxes at her gates;</p><p class="line">Once again the wild thing waits.</p><p class="line">Then leave her in her last decay</p><p class="line">A house of owls, a foxes' den;</p><p class="line">The desert that till yesterday</p><p class="line">Hid her from the eyes of men</p><p class="line">In its proper time and way</p><p class="line">Will take her to itself again.</p></div></body></html> · Great War