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THE FIRE SERMON I pt VII of The Waste Land cycle
by Joel Sattler,
based on TS Eliot

alternate title: "SWEET THAMES"

sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
run softly until I have finished my song
sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
for I speak not too loud and I won't be too long

the leaves made a canopy on the surface of the waters
but now they have sunken into the banks of mud
the wind has crossed the land so brown and unheard
the nymphs have have departed the Naiads have scud

sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
run softly until I have finished my song
sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
for I speak not too loud and I won't be too long

the litter that polluted the waters so dark
has been swept away for a time
the bottles and paper and cigarette butts
all testimony of the dank summer nights

the heirs of the city who squandered their health
have taken away what was left of their wealth
leaving nothing behind but the maidens despoiled
and a city that knows of no pleasure but toil

by the waters of Leman I sat down and wept
at my back a cold blast of air like a stone
a chuckle spread ear to ear to ear
the air was at war and rattled my bones

a rat creeping softly through reeds and the muck
as I was marooned in the present day dusk
I was thinking of king my brother unfound
while bodies lay naked upon the low ground

and picked over bones in the garret upstairs
rattled by rat's feet or year after year
the sound of the traffic the motors and horns
are all that I from time to time to time that I hear

Sweeney will come to Ms. Porter in spring
they wash their feet in soda water
o the moon shone bright on Ms. Porter
shone bright on Ms. Porter and daughter

the knight of the grail sings O ces voix d'enfants
chantant and chantant in the holy dome
jug jug jug sings the nightingale so rudely forced
tereu tereu there's no way back home

sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
run softly and now I have finished my song
sweet Thames run softly run softly sweet Thames
I spoke not too loud and I wasn't too long





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note: "thames" is pronounced TEMZ

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