1
Other sea-cities have faltered,
and striven with the tide,
other sea-cities have struggled
and died:
other sea-walls
were stricken
and the pride of galleys broken,
only you remained, beautiful,
O sea-bride!
2
Other sea-cities fell
though they built patiently and well,
other sea-cities wrought
intricate details
from rare rock,
stolen from inland,
set great lumps of lapis
above altars
and placed lamps
of alabaster or agate
before god’s feet or goddess:
other sea-cities
named Beauty
their mistress;
other sea-cities
poured oil and from vine-vats
distilled nectar as delicate;
other sea-cities
placed bright torches
on door-posts,
kept alight by the sea-port
the fire to that Spirit,
the Sea, that insistent
remained ever imminent,
threat and resistant,
the ultimate Mother:
other sea-cities
prayed, chanted
and worshipped.
3
But other sea-cities fell,
Ah, great Tyre,
ah, bright sea-wall!
ah plunder of sea-depth,
pearl, rose-pearl, and the sea-quartz,
ah purple of sea-fish,
deep-purple and violet
that stained kings’ robes
like a sun-set;
ah sea-light, that touched marble,
till it quivered like live flesh,
ah city, ah intimate
dwelling of pleasure,
ah, prey of disaster!
4
What kept you inviolate,
Sea-lover, Sea-mistress,
Sea-mother, Sea-daughter?
What spell through the ages
did your priests set upon you?
did your singers lay on you?
did your prophets bestow you?
why should you last and they go?
why should you stand and they fall?
Other sea-cities flung roses
and chanted to the tide,
other sea-cities inter-married
with tribes-men
that their treasure be bountiful,
but other sea-cities knew no secret
to keep back
the slow sand-flow,
the swift sea-rush,
knew no power against weather,
the storm-wind from the bleak north,
the rain-wind from the cold west;
other sea-cities faced east, west, and north, south,
you only controlled them,
alone wrought enchantment,
so they fondled, like charmed beasts,
the thongs of your sandal!
5
Other sea-cities knew day-fall
and night-fall,
knew change of each season,
marked each hour as it passed
by each high tower,
like a sun-dial;
other sea-cities marked
contour of high wall,
marked aspect of port-gate,
or town-gate or temple
with shadow as wonderful;
outlined, as a clear scroll
may mark, contour of parapet,
defense-tower and intricate
under-ground labyrinth;
other sea-cities sent helms-men
and brave men.
to islands
and inland;
had women as beautiful;
(were their women
as beautiful?)
their mines offered silver,
their pillars were wonderful,
wrought with as fine thought;
(were they wrought
with as fine thought?)
and laughter—
everywhere, there was laughter;
a boy with a fish-net,
a girl with a hamper
of lampreys,
the long days,
scented with tamarisk,
the long nights
sweet with the aloes,
the fruit piled in baskets,
the merchants with fresh scents
from Arabia,
from Cos;
the wind when it rose high
would open a shutter,
a girl in a blue veil
would push it,
and rain print
her garment upon her,
till she stood, blue
like lapis
slaves drag from the harbour:
did these love sea-beauty less
than you,
mistress,
O sea-blest?
6
Their blue was as sea-blue,
their purple as purple,
indigo was indigo,
violet, violet,
and red ran its riot,
like the open red pomegranate;
they knew all the gamut
of glass
that took your name;
you reaped fame from their fame;
crystal,
white-gold
or ash-gold,
amethyst,
or fire-amethyst,
gem, salt-water, clear air;
her craftsmen wrought marvels,
sea-creatures,
sea-bubbles;
amber caught light
like the sea-weed
a-wash on the sea-stair,
but men
naming such ware
speak of you,
not of rich Tyre.
7
What blessed you
that you sit,
sedately—no harlot—
a witness
as years pass,
to beauty?
We climb slowly
your sea-stair,
weave thought
as for bright hair,
fingers fashion
a chaplet:
but despair,
find no tribute;
for sea-purple,
sea-violet:
with what flowers can we match it?
marble goddess,
with what rose?
8
Tell, city,
your secret:
for others built beautifully and well,
but fell
to lie
like a bleached hull;
other sea-cities have faltered
and striven with the tide,
other sea-cities have struggled
and died:
other sea-hulks
were stricken, riven,
and the pride of galleys
broken,
not one beside you
remained, beautiful,
O Sea-Bride.