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Her princes were once brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
    more precious than sapphire.
Now their faces are blacker than soot,
    and no one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled tightly over their bones,
    as dry as a stick.
More blessed were those who died by the sword
    than those who died of hunger,
with their limbs wasting away,
    deprived of the produce of the field.

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Their princes were brighter than snow
    and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
    their appearance like lapis lazuli.

But now they are blacker(A) than soot;
    they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;(B)
    it has become as dry as a stick.

Those killed by the sword are better off
    than those who die of famine;(C)
racked with hunger, they waste away
    for lack of food from the field.(D)

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