The Ruin

From Wikipedia:

“The Ruin of the Empire”, or simply “The Ruin”, is an elegy in Old English, written by an unknown author probably in the 8th or 9th century, and published in the 10th century in the Exeter Book, a large collection of poems and riddles.[1] The poem evokes the former glory of an unnamed ruined ancient city that some scholars have identified with modern Bath, juxtaposing the grand, lively past with the decaying present.

Adaptation to modern english:

This masonry is wondrous; · fates broke it courtyard pavements were smashed; · the work of giants is decaying. Roofs are fallen, · ruinous towers, the frosty gate · with frost on cement is ravaged, chipped roofs are torn, · fallen, undermined by old age. · The grasp of the earth possesses the mighty builders, · perished and fallen, the hard grasp of earth, · until a hundred generations of people have departed. · Often this wall, lichen-grey and stained with red, · experienced one reign after another, remained standing under storms; · the high wide gate has collapsed. Still the masonry endures · in winds cut down persisted on__________________ fiercely sharpened________ · _________ ______________ · she shone_________ _____________ g skill · ancient work_________ _____________ g · of crusts of mud turned away spirit mo________yne · put together keen-counselled a quick design in rings, · a most intelligent one bound the wall with wire brace · wondrously together. Bright were the castle buildings, · many the bathing-halls, high the abundance of gables, · great the noise of the multitude, many a meadhall · full of festivity, until Fate the mighty · changed that. Far and wide the slain perished, · days of pestilence came, death took · all the brave men away; their places of war · became deserted places, the city decayed. · The rebuilders perished, the armies to earth. · And so these buildings grow desolate, and this red-curved roof · parts from its tiles of the ceiling-vault. · The ruin has fallen to the ground broken into mounds, · where at one time many a warrior, joyous and ornamented · with gold-bright splendour, proud and flushed with wine · shone in war-trappings; looked at treasure, at silver, · at precious stones, at wealth, at prosperity, · at jewellery, at this bright castle · of a broad kingdom. The stone buildings stood, · a stream threw up heat in wide surge; · the wall enclosed all in its bright bosom, · where the baths were, hot in the heart. · That was convenient. Then they let pour_______________ hot streams over grey stone. un___________ · _____________ until the ringed sea (circular pool?) · hot _____________ where the baths were. Then is_______________________ __________ re, · that is a noble thing, to the house__________ · castle_______

I wonder if poems like this will be written about the era we live in.