Before their mirrors count the time, And grow still lovelier every hour. But never yet hath bride or maid In ARABY'S gay Harams smil'd, Light as the angel shapes that bless 2 With eyes so pure, that from their ray 2 Where, through some shades of earthly feeling, They say that if a snake or serpent fix his eyes on the lustre of those stones (emeralds), he immediately becomes blind.” — Ahmed ben Abdalaziz, Treatise on Jewels. Religion's soften'd glories shine, Like light through summer foliage stealing, Shedding a glow of such mild hue, Such is the maid who, at this hour, Watching the still and shining deep. And beating heart, - she us'd to gaze On the magnificent earth and skies, In her own land, in happier days. Why looks she now so anxious down Among those rocks, whose rugged frown Blackens the mirror of the deep? Whom waits she all this lonely night? Too rough the rocks, too bold the steep, For man to scale that turret's height! So deem'd at least her thoughtful sire, After the day-beam's withering fire, 3 3 He built her bower of freshness there, And had it deck'd with costliest skill, And fondly thought it safe as fair:- Nor wake to learn what Love can dare Hath ever held that pearl the best Though high that tower, that rock-way rude, Of ARARAT's tremendous peak, ‘ 4 3 At Gombaroon and the Isle of Ormus it is sometimes so hot, that the people are obliged to lie all day in the water. Marco Polo. 4 This mountain is generally supposed to be inaccessible. And think its steeps, though dark and dread, 5 She flung him down her long black hair, And scarce did manlier nerve uphold The hero ZAL in that fond hour, 5 In one of the books of the Shâh Nâmeh, when Zal (a celebrated hero of Persia, remarkable for his white hair) comes to the terrace of his mistress Rodahver at night, she lets down her long tresses to assist him in his ascent; — he, however, manages it in a less romantic way by fixing his crook in a projecting beam. · v. Champion's Ferdosi. Than wings the youth who fleet and bold Now climbs the rocks to HINDA's bower. See light as up their granite steeps The rock-goats of ARABIA clamber, ❝ Fearless from crag to crag he leaps, 6 And now is in the maiden's chamber. She loves but knows not whom she loves, Some beauteous bird, without a name, To wondering eyes, and wing away! !. Will he thus fly her nameless lover? Alla forbid ! 'twas by a moon As fair as this, while singing over Some ditty to her soft Kanoon, ' 6 "On the lofty hills of Arabia Petræa are rock-goats.”— Niebuhr. cr 7 Canun, espèce de psalterion, avec des cordes de boyaux; les dames en touchent dans le serrail, avec des décailles armées de pointes de coco." Toderini, translated by De Cournand. |