Слике страница
PDF
ePub

"Welcome, terrific glen !" he said,

66

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,

[ocr errors]

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,

66

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,
"And makes a pander of his God!
"If her proud sons, her high-born souls,

"Men, in whose veins oh last disgrace!

"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

"Cries out to heav'n, and bondage grows
"Too vile for ev'n the vile to bear!

"Till shame at last, long hidden, burns
"Their inmost core, and conscience turns
"Each coward tear the slave lets fall
"Back on his heart in drops of gall!
"But here, at least, are arms unchain'd,
"And souls that thraldom never stain'd; -

"This spot, at least, no foot of slave

"Or satrap ever yet profan'd;

[ocr errors]

"And, though but few — though fast the wave

"Of life is ebbing from our veins,

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

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, 4
"We'll bound

-

upon our startled prey;
"And when some hearts that proudest swell
"Have felt our falchion's last farewel;

"When Hope's expiring throb is o'er,
"And ev'n Despair can prompt no more,
"This spot shall be the sacred grave
"Of the last few who, vainly brave,
"Die for the land they cannot save!"

[ocr errors]

His Chiefs stood round — each shining blade
Upon the broken altar laid

And though so wild and desolate

Those courts, where once the Mighty sate;

Nor longer on those mouldering towers

Was seen the feast of fruits and flowers,
With which of old the Magi fed

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.

[blocks in formation]

Among other ceremonies the Magi used to place upon the

Though neither priest nor rites were there,
Nor charmed leaf of pure pomegranate ;"
Nor hymn, nor censer's fragrant air,

Nor symbol of their worshipp'd planet ;
Yet the same God that heard their sires
Heard them, while on that altar's fires
They swore the latest, holiest deed
Of the few hearts, still left to bleed,
Should be, in IRAN's injur'd name,
To die upon that Mount of Flame-
The last of all her patriot line,

Before her last untrampled Shrine !

7

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.

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!

« ПретходнаНастави »