ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH (1819-1861):
THE LATEST DECALOGUE

 

Thou shalt have one God only; who
Would tax himself to worship two?
God's image nowhere shalt thou see,
Save haply in the currency:
Swear not at all; since for thy curse
Thine enemy is not the worse:
At church on Sunday to attend
Will help to keep the world thy friend:
Honor thy parents; that is, all
From whom promotion may befall:
Thou shalt not kill; but needst not strive
Officiously to keep alive:
Adultery it is not fit
Or safe, for women, to commit:
Thou shalt not steal; an empty feat,
When 'tis so lucrative to cheat:
False witness not to bear be strict;
And cautious, ere you contradict.
Thou shalt not covet; but tradition
Sanctions the keenest competition.

Pravzaprav to ni pesem po mojem izboru, ampak je zanimiva povezava med to pesmijo in Menartovimi »Desetimi človeškimi zapovedmi«. Arthur Hugh Clough je pri nas dokaj neznan, saj gre bralec hitro mimo »A. H. Clougha«, potem ko je na prvem mestu omenjen Mojzes. In resnično: Četrta Menartova zapoved je na las podobna Cloughovi: »Honor thy parents; that is, all / From whom promotion may befall ...«

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