"Antiquitates Punicae"
And as yesterday, I see it clear:
The hound tears the prey to shreds, I fear!..
And spirals like waves, the mollusk on teeth
Sprays purple juice of Melqart beneath!..
I remember well those distant ages past:
Tyre launched ships like arrows, fast!
Back then I gripped the oars with might,
On cedar masts, I winded with delight.
And the Phoenician sail held its beacon bright,
Guiding forth through the sea's endless fars!..
Oil, wine, glass, purple, and cedar's arc -
They sped through the miles, like a headlong spark!..
And grain by grain, like sands that entwine,
From the depths of ages, the sea’s paths align!
The clay curled in hulls to shape amphorae's form,
While Papyrus from Gebal walked firm through the swarm!..
And like pearls in the beads that adorned Tanit,
Cities blossomed then, in coastal sunlight!..
Along Afri’ banks, the world thrived and grew,
To Agadir, Melqart forged through the Atlas anew!
