So fathomless, so full of gloom, No eye could pierce the void between ; And in its caverns feed unseen. Like distant thunder, from below, The sound of many torrents came; Too deep for eye or ear to know Or floods of ever-restless flame. And, though for ever past the days, When God was worshipp'd in the blaze That from its lofty altar shone, Though fled the priests, the votaries gone, Still did the mighty flame burn on Through chance and change, through good and ill, Like its own God's eternal will, Deep, constant, bright, unquenchable ! Thither the vanquish'd HAFED led His little army's last remains; 2 The Ghebers generally built their temples over subterraneous fires. "Welcome, terrific glen!" he said, "Thy gloom, that Eblis' self might dread, "Is Heav'n to him who flies from chains!" O'er a dark, narrow bridge-way, known To him and to his Chiefs alone, They cross'd the chasm and gain'd the towers; "This home," he cried, "at least is ours "Here we may bleed, unmock'd by hymns "Of Moslem triumph o'er our head; "Here we may fall, nor leave our limbs "To quiver to the Moslem's tread. "Stretch'd on this rock, while vultures' beaks "Are whetted on our yet warm cheeks, "Here, happy that no tyrant's eye "Gloats on our torments-we may die !" 'Twas night when to those towers they came, And gloomily the fitful flame, That from the ruin'd altar broke, Glar'd on his features, as he spoke: ""Tis o'er-what men could do, we've done "If IRAN will look tamely on, "And see her priests, her warriors driven "Before a sensual bigot's nod, "A wretch, who takes his lusts to heaven, "Men, in whose veins oh last disgrace! 3 "The blood of ZAL and RUSTAM3 rolls, "If they will court this upstart race, "And turn from MITHRA's ancient ray, "To kneel at shrines of yesterday! "If they will crouch to IRAN's foes, "Why, let them till the land's despair "Till shame at last, long hidden, burns "This spot, at least, no foot of slave "Or satrap ever yet profan'd; "And, though but few-though fast the wave "Of life is ebbing from our veins, "Enough for vengeance still remains. 3 Ancient heroes of Persia. "Among the Guebres there are some, who boast their descent from Rustam.". Stephen's Persia. "As panthers, after set of sun, "Rush from the roots of LEBANON "Across the dark sea-robber's way, "We'll bound upon our startled prey; "When Hope's expiring throb is o'er, His Chiefs stood round — each shining blade And though so wild and desolate Those courts, where once the Mighty sate; Nor longer on those mouldering towers The wandering Spirits of their Dead; ' 4 V. Russel's account of the panthers attacking travellers in the night on the sea-shore about the roots of Lebanon. 5 "Among other ceremonies the Magi used to place upon the Though neither priest nor rites were there, Nor charmed leaf of pure pomegranate; Nor symbol of their worshipp'd planet ; 7 Before her last untrampled Shrine ! 6 tops of high towers various kinds of rich viands, upon which it was supposed the Peris and the spirits of their departed heroes regaled themselves."— Richardson. 6 In the ceremonies of the Ghebers round their Fire, as described by Lord," the Daroo," he says, "giveth them water to drink, and a pomegranate leaf to chew in the mouth, to cleanse them from inward uncleanness." 7 "Early in the morning, they (the Parsees or Ghebers at Oulam) go in crowds to pay their devotions to the Sun, to whom upon all the altars there are spheres consecrated, made by magic, resembling the circles of the sun, and when the sun rises, these orbs seem to be inflamed, and to turn round with a great noise. They have every one a censer in their hands, and offer incense to the sun." — Rabbi Benjamin. |