Слике страница
PDF
ePub

Brave, suffering souls! they little knew How many a tear their injuries drew

From one meek maid, one gentle foe,

Whom Love first touch'd with others' woe
Whose life, as free from thought as sin,
Slept like a lake, till Love threw in
His talisman, and woke the tide,

And spread its trembling circles wide.
Once, EMIR! thy unheeding child,
Mid all this havoc, bloom'd and smil'd, –
Tranquil as on some battle-plain

The Persian lily shines and towers, Before the combat's reddening stain Hath fall'n upon her golden flowers. Light-hearted maid, unaw'd, unmov'd, While heav'n but spar'd the sire she lov'd, Once at thy evening tales of blood Unlistening and aloof she stood

And oft, when thou hast pac'd along

Thy Haram halls with furious heat, Hast thou not curs'd her cheerful song,

That came across thee, calm and sweet,

Like lutes of angels, touch'd so near Hell's confines, that the damn'd can hear!

Far other feelings Love hath brought —

Her soul all flame, her brow all sadness, She now has but the one dear thought,

And thinks that o'er, almost to madness! Oft doth her sinking heart recal His words" for my sake weep for all;" And bitterly, as day on day

Of rebel carnage fast succeeds,

She weeps a lover snatch'd away

In every Gheber wretch that bleeds.
There's not a sabre meets her eye,

But with his life-blood seems to swim;
There's not an arrow wings the sky,
But fancy turns its point to him.

No more she brings with footstep light
AL HASSAN's falchion for the fight;

And,

had he look'd with clearer sight,

Had not the mists, that ever rise

From a foul spirit, dimm'd his eyes—

He would have mark'd her shuddering frame,

When from the field of blood he came,

The faltering speech the look estrang'd

[ocr errors]

Voice, step, and life, and beauty chang'd

He would have mark'd all this, and known Such change is wrought by Love alone!

Ah! not the Love, that should have bless'd
So young, so innocent a breast;

Not the pure, open, prosperous Love,
That, pledg'd on earth and seal'd above,
Grows in the world's approving eyes,

In friendship's smile and home's caress,
Collecting all the heart's sweet ties
Into one knot of happiness!
No, HINDA, no-thy fatal flame
Is nurs❜d in silence, sorrow, shame.

A passion, without hope or pleasure, In thy soul's darkness buried deep,

It lies, like some ill-gotten treasure, Some idol, without shrine or name, O'er which its pale-ey'd votaries keep Unholy watch, while others sleep!

Seven nights have darken'd OMAN's Sea, Since last, beneath the moonlight ray,

She saw his light oar rapidly

Hurry her Gheber's bark away,

And still she goes, at midnight hour,
To weep alone in that high bower,

And watch, and look along the deep

For him whose smiles first made her weep,

But watching, weeping, all was vain,

She never saw his bark again.
The owlet's solitary cry,

The night-hawk, flitting darkly by,
And oft the hateful carrion-bird,
Heavily flapping his clogg'd wing,
Which reek'd with that day's banquetting -
Was all she saw, was all she heard.

'Tis the eighth morn AL HASSAN's brow

Is brighten❜d with unusual joy

What mighty mischief glads him now,

8

Who never smiles but to destroy? The sparkle upon HERKEND's Sea, When tost at midnight furiously, Tells not of wreck and ruin nigh, More surely than that smiling eye!

1

Travels of

8" It is observed, with respect to the Sea of Herkend, that when it is tossed by tempestuous winds it sparkles like fire." two Mohammedans.

[ocr errors]

"Up, daughter, up-the Kerna's' breath "Has blown a blast would waken death,

"And yet thou sleep'st

up, child, and see

"This blessed day for Heaven and me,

"A day more rich in Pagan blood
"Than ever flash'd o'er OMAN'S flood.

"Before another dawn shall shine,

"His head heart - limbs will all be mine;

“This very night his blood shall steep

"These hands all over ere I sleep!"

"His blood!" she faintly scream'd — her mind
Still singling one from all mankind

"Yes-spite of his ravines and towers,
"HAFED, my child, this night is ours.
"Thanks to all-conquering treachery,

"Without whose aid the links accurst,
"That bind these impious slaves, would be
"Too strong for ALLA's self to burst!
"That rebel fiend, whose blade has spread
"My path with piles of Moslem dead,

9 A kind of trumpet; - it " was that used by Tamerlane, the sound of which is described as uncommonly dreadful, an so loud as

to be heard at the distance of several miles." — Richardson

« ПретходнаНастави »