O newcomer in search of Rome in Rome
Who can find naught of Rome in Rome at all,
Rome is the name we give to the dead home
You see: old arch, old palace and old wall.
Behold the pride, the ruin of things past,
How She who set the world beneath her sway
All-conquering, conquered Her own self at last,
Becoming all-consuming Time's own prey.
Rome's lone memorial Rome has come to be,
And Rome has fallen before Rome alone.
Only the Tiber fleeting to the sea
Remains of Rome. Inconstant worldly clime!
That which stands fast, by Time is overthrown
And what flees fast, stands in the face of Time.