Af
Kilde: Preservation of American Hellenic History (PAHH)
Udgivet på myIslam.dk : 19. juni 2013
The Martyred City
Glory and Queen of Island Sea
Was Smyrna, the beautiful city,
And fairest pearl of the Orient she —
O Smyrna the beautiful city!
Heiress of countless storied ages,
Mother of poets, saints and sages,
Was Smyrna, the beautiful city!
One of the ancient, glorious Seven
Was Smyrna, the sacred city,
Whose candles all were alight in Heaven —
O Smyrna the sacred city!
One of the Seven hopes and desires,
One of the seven Holy Fires
Was Smyrna, the Sacred City.
And six fared out in the long ago —
O Smyrna, the Christian city!
But hers shone on with a constant glow —
O Smyrna, the Christian city!
The others died down and passed away,
But hers gleamed on until yesterday —
O Smyrna, the Christian city!
Silent and dead are churchbell ringers
Of Smyrna, the Christian city,
The music silent and dead the singers
Of Smyrna, the happy city;
And her maidens, pearls of the Island seas
Are gone from the marble palaces
Of Smyrna, enchanting city!
She is dead and rots by the Orient's gate,
Does Smyrna, the murdered city,
Her artisans gone, her streets desolate —
O Smyrna, the murdered city!
Her children made orphans, widows her wives
While under her stones the foul rat thrives —
O Smyrna, the murdered city!
They crowned with a halo her bishop there,
In Smyrna, the martyred city,
Though dabbled with blood was his long white hair —
O Smyrna, the martyred city!
So she kept the faith in Christendom
From Polycarp to St. Chrysostom,*
Did Smyrna, the glorified city!
* [Forfatterens note: Der henvises her til Chyrsostom, ærkebiskoppen af Smyrna, som led martyrdøden i Smyrna, september 1922.]
George Horton
George Horton (1859-1942) var medlem af det amerikanske diplomatiske korps og var indehaver af flere konsul-embeder, i Grækenland og Det Osmanniske Rige, i slutningen af det 19. og begyndelsen af det 20. århundrede. Horton ankom oprindeligt til Grækenland i 1893 og vendte hjem fra Grækenland 30 år senere i 1924. I to forskellige perioder var han amerikansk konsul og amerikansk generalkonsul i Smyrna, kendt som Izmir i dag, første gang mellem 1911-1917 (indtil afbrydelsen af de diplomatiske forbindelser mellem USA og Det Osmanniske Rige under 1. Verdenskrig), og anden gang mellem 1919-1922 under den græske administration af byen under den græsk-tyrkiske krig. Den græske administration af Smyrna blev udnævnt af de allierede magter efter Tyrkiets nederlag i 1. Verdenskrig og indtagelsen af Smyrna. (Kilde: Wikipedia)
Skriv det, du ser, ned i en bog, og send den til de syv menigheder, til Efesos og til Smyrna og til Pergamon og til Thyatira og til Sardes og til Filadelfia og til Laodikea.
Johannes' Åbenbaring 1:11
Indholdsfortegnelse
Oversættelse: Bombadillo