How the Mighty Fell!
—King David’s dirge for the previous King of Israel
and his son: King Saul and Jonathan who died at the
battle of Mt. Gilboa (2 Samuel 1:19-27)
On your heights, O Israel, is sprawled a slain Gazelle.
O how the mighty fell! O how the mighty fell!
In Gath or Ashkelon may no one ever tell,
Lest festive voices of Philistine daughters swell.
Curse Mount Gilboa! May there be no dew or rain
Or deluges to fall and bless its fields of grain,
For there the warrior’s shield was dirtied with disdain,
The shield that Saul the king had taken up in vain.
But from the life blood that was spilled from all who died
And from the flesh of warriors’ now cast aside
The bow of Jonathan did not from battle hide.
The sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
O Saul and Jonathan, beloved, magnificent!
In life they were as one; in death they were not rent.
And swifter they than eagles in their bold descent;
More powerful they were than lions’ strength unpent.
You Israelitish daughters, mourn for Saul your king
Who clothed you in the finest scarlet coloring,
Who graced your garments then with golden garnishing.
O how the mighty fell in battle, Saul our king!
O Jonathan, now slain upon the heights, I grieve
For you! My brother, Jonathan, I do believe
You were more dear to me than I can scarce’ conceive;
Your love bore glory, more than a woman’s can achieve.
O how the mighty fell! O how the mighty fell!
The weaponry of war has rung its dark death knell!
Jeff Kemper has been a biology teacher, biblical studies instructor, editor, and painting contractor. He lives in York County, Pennsylvania.
Thank you, Jeff, for this skilfully composed and truly evocative version of David’s dirge, which I very much enjoyed reading. I do like your rhyme scheme and also feel that the places where you’ve slightly expanded the concentrated language of the original help to make the meaning more accessible and comprehensible for modern readers. It means a lot to me to see your version, as I spent a number of years up to 2008 writing a biography of David in rhyming couplets – his dirge is lines 2062-2087 of my poem! If you’d be interested to see the poem, or that section of it, I’d be only too pleased to e-mail it to you. It was interesting to me to note that the only rhyme our versions had in common was gazelle/fell. Thank you again. Best wishes, Bruce
Thank you, Bruce! I would love to see the complete version of the poem you offered. I am currently working on my third Davidic story, the contest with Goliath. My email addy is [email protected]. Again, thank you for your kind words.
Jeff, I too love the rhyme scheme in which each line of each quatrain rhymed beautifully. I also love Bible stories and have done so since my mother used to read them to me from a Bible story book. To have it told in such a fashion is marvelous.
Thank you, Roy. When I read the Bible I find the laments especially moving. (I suppose that’s like saying 1 equals 1!) I’m reading through the Bible chronologically this year and so, with the greater context fresh in mind, I felt a deep urge to paraphrase it.
This is a beautiful and moving “translation” of the poetic scriptural eulogy of David into a rhyming form.
Thank you, Cynthia. What baffles me every time I read the Saul-David narratives is the depth of David’s respect for Saul as Yahweh’s anointed king, the latter’s attempts at murdering David notwithstanding.
Yes, I puzzle over the same thing. David seemed incapable of vengeful feelings.
Great poem, I love it. You do a wonderful job of retelling this Bible story in verse.
Thanks, Yael. I’m glad you liked it.
A splendid rendering of this elegiac lament, Jeff. I think the unusual choice of monorhymed hexameter quatrains gives an appropriate artistic effect–longer lines as if the singer is running out of breath, repetition as if he’s running out of sounds. Yet there is plenty to say, and you treat the matter fully as does your original, crediting the slain king and prince with undaunted valor. And doing justice to the strong feeling of David for Jonathan, the exceptional emotion that uplifts this poem.
I agree, Margaret … especially about the capturing of David’s feelings for Jonathan. It’s hard to do that kind of thing without verging on the maudlin, but he got it just right.
This is very powerful, Jeff. I confess it made tears well up on my lower eyelids.
The gut punch line, for me, was:
“Lest festive voices of Philistine daughters swell”, especially when contrasted with the “Israelitish daughters” four stanzas later.
Very well done!!