I think, the king was fierce, though young, <br />When he proclaimed, 'You’ll level Thebes with ground.' <br />And the old chief perceived this city proud, <br />He’d seen in times that are in sagas sung. <br />Set all to fire! The king listed else <br />The towers, the gates, the temples – rich and thriving… <br />But sank in thoughts, and said with lighted face, <br />'You just provide the Bard Home’s surviving.'<br /><br />Anna Akhmatova<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/alexander-by-thebes/
