Reub's journey

03 July 2010

Ruins of Rome

The first in a series of posts resulting from our recent trip to Italy:

These are a few shots taken on Palatine Hill and the Forum, except for the picture of the Tiber taken from Trastevere, and the last shot of a donation box at the church of Santa Maria dell' Orazione e Morte near Piazza Farnese in Rome.

The poem, translated from French by half-insane Ezra Pound, was displayed on a plaque at the side of a busy street and I thought it would fit with the pictures:






Ruins of Rome
by Joachim du Bellay (1522-1560)

O thou new comer who seek'st Rome in Rome
And find'st in Rome no thing thou canst call Roman



Arches worn old and palaces made common,
Rome's name alone within these walls keeps home.



Behold how pride and ruin can befall
One who hath set the whole world 'neath her laws,




All-conquering, now conquered, because
She is Time's prey and Time consumeth all.



Rome that art Rome's one sole last monument,
Rome that alone hast conquered Rome the town,



Tiber alone, transient and seaward bent,
Remains of Rome.

O world, thou unconstant mime!
That which stands firm in thee Time batters down,


And that which fleeteth doth outrun swift time.


5 comments:

  1. Now you have captured me with these lovely photos. I have been to Rome twice and certainly hope to return at least once more someday.

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  2. That poem seems to have been written just for your photos.. which are stunning

    Nice.

    Patience

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  3. Time definitely consumeth all, oh yeah.

    I love Rome. I like to stay just on the other side of the river from Trastevere at the Campo di Fiori. Looking at your pics brought back great memories. Thanks for this.

    Hope you've recovered from jetlag!

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  4. I've been to Rome - maybe - a dozen times in many different seasons and have never caught such flowers. maybe they are incouraging wild flowers in Rome now. great shots.

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  5. Blogspot is dropping comments like crazy on this post. Let me know if you are having problems. (email is on my profile)

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