Collected Poems by Anthony Burgess (best e ink reader for manga txt) 📕

of dishonour.

‘You do not understand the dishonour.’ Harsh words

From the high priestess. ‘How can I show my face

Again in the streets, in my father’s house? The god

Has turned his back on me.’ Zimri kissed her tears.

‘You have found out in time, through the grace of some other god,

That you were not meant for that service. And yet, of course,

It was that which brought us together. The world is strange,

God is strange.’ She said: ‘Which god do you mean?’

He said: ‘Who knows? Perhaps the God of my people.

What kind of,’ he said, ‘malediction

Did your high priestess pronounce on you?’

Cozbi sobbed again. ‘She said that I had

Disgraced the temple, but then she admitted

Her own share of the blame. After all, it was she who

Encouraged me to to. . .’ Zimri smiled:

‘Seduce me to a religion of love? There, you are smiling.

And you, my love, a princess among your people,

Shall be an ever higher princess among mine.

So all shall end well.’ They kissed and then she said:

‘Where is this promised land you talk about?’

He said: ‘Beyond the Jordan. Even now

The work of parcelling out the land goes on.

To my tribe comes a great tract of rich soil,

Rich grass. We shall build a fair palace of stone

And live in love for ever and ever.’ Then she said:

‘You must know now – but surely you already know –

That I may not have children. The temple of love

Was given over to joy, not fertility.’

But he cried: ‘What does it matter? Israel

Can grow and flourish with no need of our help.

We shall be a new twin star in its sky.

That word – it is meant as a word of shame,

But the moon is barren and its light shines on the earth

With a beauty that the sun does not know. As now.’

He embraced her tenderly. ‘We are the moon lovers.’

She said: ‘We must leave early. Put out the light.’

So he doused the lamp, saying however: ‘The light

Can never be put out.’ And the moon

Embraced them who embraced each other. Never

Be put out. In harsh sunlight Moses

Addressed the multitude: ‘You, children of Israel,

Have committed whoredoms with the daughters of Moab.

You have sacrificed to their gods, you have eaten

Of foul flesh and bowed down to Ba’al.

The anger of the Lord is a burning torrent.

For he is the one God, the God of mankind,

Who made mankind and all the earth and the heavens,

And he is a jealous God.

And his word has come to me, and this is his word.’

The sinners waited, rightly apprehensive,

The troops stern behind them. Moses said:

‘His word is this: Take all the heads of the people

That have sinned, and hang them before the Lord,

Up against the sun, that the Lord’s fierce anger

May be turned away from Israel. Judges,’ he cried.

And the judges, shocked but ready, looked towards him.

‘Judges, you have heard the order of the Lord.

Let justice be done.’ So Moses turned away

While justice was done, shutting his ears to torment

And curses, the terrified voices that cried:

The God of Jacob is a God of butchers

And Moses is the chief of butchers, saying:

‘I spoke too soon when I said the work was over.

I see now that the work is never over.

But, Lord God, may my work soon be over.’

The lovers stood, puzzled, when they came to the encampment,

Finding weeping and rending of garments by the tabernacle,

Then they looked up and saw. ‘Is this what they do?’

Cried Cozbi in fear. ‘Is this the kind of

Thing that the Israelites do?’ Zimri said: ‘Justice’,

In a weak voice. ‘They have been seeking justice.

For what crime?’ Cozbi cried: ‘Let us go.

Back to the city.’ But Joshua was upon them,

An armed squad behind him, saying: ‘So.

You came back to us, Zimri. With, as I see,

One of the whores of Moab.’ Zimri cried out:

‘Guard your tongue. The whore to whom you refer

Is the daughter of a prince of Moab, head

Of a great house in the kingdom. She is also my bride.’ –

‘Your bride,’ Joshua said. ‘That is a stage

Further than whoredom. You are both under arrest.’

Zimri said stoutly: ‘On what charge?’ And Joshua:

‘Abominations before the Lord our God.’ –

‘Wait’ Zimri said: ‘was I not sent to the city

On your instructions? What proof do you possess

That I have committed whoredoms, as you call them?’ –

‘The proof,’ said Joshua, ‘stands beside you.’ Zimri,

In a voice that rang out, said: ‘Ah, Joshua,

You who love the law so much that

Severed heads must grin in the sun for it,

You shall have the law, but she and I

Will have it too. For which of our law forbids

The converting of a pagan to the faith?

What law forbids the marriage of an Israelite

To the daughter of a foreign people?’ Joshua,

More doubtfully than before: ‘The situation

Is, at best, highly suspicious.’ – ‘I see.

Suspicion is enough for arrest, for threat’

For insult?’ – ‘The judges,’ now said Joshua, “must decide.

In the meantime, you are both under arrest.

On suspicion which, to a people at war, is enough.

And, if you will accept the word of our leader,

Which is also enough, the people of Moab,

From newborn child to doddering greybeard, are

Defined by him as an unclean people, source

Of disease of body and of spirit.’ Zimri said:

‘Do not talk to me of uncleanness, Joshua.

You smell of blood, blood, which, I fear,

Will not easily be washed out.’ – ‘No more talk.

Place them in the guard tents. Separately.’

But Zimri countered: ‘Wait. I claim, by right,

The protection of my own tribe.’ Joshua: ‘No.

The law of the whole people cancels out

The laws and customs of the tribes.’ – ‘Is that then

Written on the tablets? I think not.

The ancient custom of wedlock with the Simeonites

Demands that the bride be brought before the people

To be approved of the people.’ Joshua said:

‘Go, then. I am heartily sick of this matter.

It shall be left to the judges. But, Zimri, there will be

No escape. The perimeter guards have their orders.’

Now it happened that a new priest, freshly appointed,

Spoke that night to the people: ‘My name is Phinehas.

I know I am the youngest of your priests,

But the fire of faith burns the stronger therefor,

Nor is authority nor wisdom thereby abated.

I speak