Sidonian Dido

Mack Hall

(Rough draft scribbled in class long ago)

Sidonian Dido

Sidonian Dido, Africa’s Queen –
Dreamer on the Mediterranean shore,
Why is it that your truth has not been seen?

In singing ancient songs there is far more
Than tall tales treacherous Trojans tend to tell,
Crude calumnies by Teucerian bores

Your faithful friends followed when your star fell
In your Phoenician homeland far away;
In Africa you built anew, built well

Your city between the desert and bay,
Carthage, homeland of courtesy and grace,
Where even Juno deigned to dwell, some say

Sidonian Dido, your ancient race
Brought to the desert the lute and the lyre,
Made moonlit music in that dream-scaped place

Sidonian Dido, Africa’s Queen!

The bitter black smoke of your funeral pyre
Cannot obscure the brilliance of your fire,
Cannot win honor for Dardanian liars

Sidonian Dido, a dreamer’s queen –

Sing to us who love you on African nights
When the deep desert dreams in limpid light,
When eyes and hearts and moon are full and bright