The Night and Shadow', over yonder tent?— It is the CALIPH's glorious armament. Rous'd in his Palace by the dread alarms, That hourly came, of the false Prophet's arms, Defiance fierce at Islam and the world; - Το conquer or to perish, once more gave His shadowy banners proudly to the breeze, And with an army, nurs'd in victories, Here stands to crush the rebels that o'er-run 4 The two black standards borne before the Caliphs of the House of Abbas, were called, allegorically, The Night and The Shadow.v. Gibbon. 5 The Mahometan Religion. 6" The Persians swear by the Tomb of Shah Besade, who is buried at Casbin; and when one desires another to asseverate a matter, he will ask him, if he dare swear by the Holy Grave." — Struy. way Ne'er did the march of MAHADI display 9 6 Mahadi, in a single pilgrimage to Mecca, expended six millions of dinars of gold. 7 Nivem Meccam apportavit, rem ibi aut nunquam aut raro visam. — Abulfeda. 8 The inhabitants of Hejaz or Arabia Petræa, called by an Eastern writer "The People of the Rock.” — Ebn Haukal. 9" Those horses, called by the Arabians Kochlani, of whom a written genealogy has been kept for 2000 years. They are said to derive their origin from King Solomon's steeds." — Niebuhr. I" Many of the figures on the blades of their swords are wrought in gold or silver, or in marquetry with small gems."- Asiat. Misc. v.i. And Indian lancers, in white-turban'd ranks 2 With dusky legions from the Land of Myrrh, 2 Nor less in number, though more new and rude Burning and headlong as the Samiel wind, Many who felt, and more who fear'd to feel 3 Waving their heron crests with martial grace; 2 Azab or Saba. 3" The chiefs of the Uzbek Tartars wear a plume of white heron's feathers in their turbans." · Account of Independent Tartary. 4 In the mountains of Nishapour and Tous (in Khorassan) they find turquoises. Ebn Haukal. Of HINDOO KOSH,' in stormy freedom bred, } Vengeance at last for their dear country spurn'd, From YEZD's' eternal Mansion of the Fire, Where aged saints in dreams of Heav'n expire; 5 For a description of these stupendous ranges of mountains, v. Elphinstone's Caubul. 6 The Ghebers or Guebres, those original natives of Persia, who adhered to their ancient faith, the religion of Zoroaster, and who, after the conquest of their country by the Arabs, were either per secuted at home, or forced to become wanderers abroad. 7" Yezd, the chief residence of those ancient natives, who worship the Sun and the Fire, which latter they have carefully kept lighted, without being once extinguished for a moment, above 3000 years, on a mountain near Yezd, called Ater Quedah, signifying the House or Mansion of the Fire. He is reckoned very unfortunate who dies off that mountain."— Stephen's Persia. From BADKU, and those fountains of blue flame Such was the wild and miscellaneous host, That high in air their motley banners tost Around the Prophet-Chief — all eyes still bent Upon that glittering Veil, where'er it went, That beacon through the battle's stormy flood, That rainbow of the field, whose showers were blood! Twice hath the Sun upon their conflict set, And ris'n again, and found them grappling yet; While steams of carnage, in his noon-tide blaze, Smoke up to heav'n-hot as that crimson haze, By which the prostrate Caravan is aw'd, In the red Desert, when the wind's abroad! 8" When the weather is hazy, the springs of Naptha (on an island near Baku) boil up the higher, and the Naptha often takes fire on the surface of the earth, and runs in a flame into the sea to a distance almost incredible.".-Hanway on the Everlasting Fire at Baku. |