Prunes of BOKARA, and sweet nuts

From the far groves of SAMARCAND, And BASRA dates, and apricots,

4

Seed of the Sun, from IRAN's land; -
With rich conserve of Visna cherries, '
Of orange flowers, and of those berries
That, wild and fresh, the young gazelles
Feed on in ERAC's rocky dells."
All these in richest vases smile,

In baskets of pure santal-wood,
And urns of porcelain from that isle 7
Sunk underneath the Indian flood,
Whence oft the lucky diver brings
Vases to grace the halls of kings.

4 "A delicious kind of apricot, called by the Persians tokm-ekshems, signifying sun's seed."— Descript. of Persia.

5 "Sweetmeats in a crystal cup, consisting of rose-leaves in conserve, with lemon or Visna cherry, orange flowers, &c.". Russell.

6" Antelopes cropping the fresh berries of Erac."-The Moallakat, Poem of Tarafa.

7 Mauri-ga-Sima, an island near Formosa, supposed to have been sunk in the sea for the crimes of its inhabitants. The vessels which the fishermen and divers bring up from it are sold at an immense price in China and Japan. — v. Kempfer.

Wines too, of every clime and hue,

Around their liquid lustre threw;

8

Amber Rosolli, — the bright dew

From vineyards of the Green-Sea gushing;'
And SHIRAZ wine, that richly ran
As if that jewel, large and rare,
The ruby, for which KUBLAI-KHAN
Offer'd a city's wealth,' was blushing
Melted within the goblets there!

And amply SELIM quaffs of each,
And seems resolv'd the floods shall reach

His inward heart, — shedding around

A genial deluge, as they run,

That soon shall leave no spot undrown'd,
For Love to rest his wings upon.

8 Persian Tales.

9 The white wine of Kishma.

"The King of Zeilan is said to have the very finest ruby that was ever seen. Kublai-Khan sent and offered the value of a city for it, but the King answered he would not give it for the treasure of the world.". Marco Polo.

He little knew how well the boy

Can float upon a goblet's streams, Lighting them with his smile of joy ;—

As bards have seen him, in their dreams, Down the blue GANGES laughing glide Upon a rosy lotus wreath, *

2

Catching new lustre from the tide

That with his image shone beneath.

But what are cups, without the aid
Of song to speed them as they flow?

And see a lovely Georgian maid,

With all the bloom, the freshen'd glow
Of her own country maidens' looks,

When warm they rise from TEFLIS' brooks;
And with an eye, whose restless ray,

Full, floating, dark-oh he, who knows
His heart is weak, of heav'n should pray

To guard him from such eyes as those!

3

2 The Indians feign that Cupid was first seen floating down the Ganges on the Nymphæa Nelumbo.

v. Pennant.

3 Teflis is celebrated for its natural warm baths.

-v. Ebn Haukal.

Come hither, come hither - by night and by day,
We linger in pleasures that never are gone;
Like the waves of the summer, as one dies away,
Another as sweet and as shining comes on.
And the Love that is o'er, in expiring, gives birth
To a new one as warm, as unequall'd in bliss;
And oh! if there be an Elysium on earth,
It is this, it is this.

Here maidens are sighing, and fragrant their sigh

5

As the flower of the Amra just op'd by a bee; s And precious their tears as that rain from the sky, Which turns into pearls as it falls in the sea.

4" The Indian Syrinda or guitar." - Symes.

5" Delightful are the flowers of the Amra trees on the mountain-tops, while the murmuring bees pursue their voluptuous toil." -Song of Jayadeva.

6 "The Nisan or drops of spring rain, which they believe to produce pearls if they fall into shells." - Richardson.

Oh! think what the kiss and the smile must be worth, When the sigh and the tear are so perfect in bliss; And own if there be an Elysium on earth,

It is this, it is this.

Here sparkles the nectar that, hallow'd by love,

Could draw down those angels of old from their

sphere,

Who for wine of this earth' left the fountains above,

And forgot heaven's stars for the eyes we have here. And, bless'd with the odour our goblet gives forth, What Spirit the sweets of his Eden would miss? For oh! if there be an Elysium on earth, It is this, it is this.

The Georgian's song was scarcely mute,

When the same measure, sound for sound,

Was caught up by another lute,

And so divinely breathed around,

That all stood hush'd and wondering,

And turn'd and look'd into the air,

7 For an account of the share which wine had in the fall of the angels, v. Mariti.