By The Rivers Dark Lyrics by Leonard Cohen
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By the rivers dark
I wandered on.
I lived my life
in Babylon.

And I did forget
My holy song:
And I had no strength
In Babylon.

By the rivers dark
Where I could not see
Who was waiting there
Who was hunting me.

And he cut my lip
And he cut my heart.
So I could not drink
From the river dark.

And he covered me,
And I saw within,
My lawless heart
And my wedding ring,

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me.

By the rivers dark
I panicked on.
I belonged at last
to Babylon.

Then he struck my heart
With a deadly force,
And he said, �This heart:
It is not yours.�

And he gave the wind
My wedding ring;
And he circled us
With everything.

By the rivers dark,
In a wounded dawn,
I live my life
In Babylon.

Though I take my song
From a withered limb,
Both song and tree,
They sing for him.

Be the truth unsaid
And the blessing gone,
If I forget
My Babylon.

I did not know
And I could not see
Who was waiting there,
Who was hunting me.

By the rivers dark,
Where it all goes on;
By the rivers dark
In Babylon.
By the rivers dark   I wandered on.   I lived my life   in Babylon.      And I did forget   My holy song:   And I had no strength   In Babylon.      By the rivers dark   Where I could not see   Who was waiting there   Who was hunting me.      And he cut my lip   And he cut my heart.   So I could not drink   From the river dark.      And he covered me,   And I saw within,   My lawless heart   And my wedding ring,      I did not know   And I could not see   Who was waiting there,   Who was hunting me.      By the rivers dark   I panicked on.   I belonged at last   to Babylon.      Then he struck my heart   With a deadly force,   And he said, �This heart:   It is not yours.�      And he gave the wind   My wedding ring;   And he circled us   With everything.      By the rivers dark,   In a wounded dawn,   I live my life   In Babylon.      Though I take my song   From a withered limb,   Both song and tree,   They sing for him.      Be the truth unsaid   And the blessing gone,   If I forget   My Babylon.      I did not know   And I could not see   Who was waiting there,   Who was hunting me.      By the rivers dark,   Where it all goes on;   By the rivers dark   In Babylon.