Among the living lights of heaven: 288 He, who gave birth to those dear eyes, From which our fires of worship rise! But know - 'twas he I sought that night, When, from my watch-boat on the sea, I caught this turret's glimmering light, And up the rude rocks desperately Rush'd to my prey thou know'st the rest I climb'd the gory vulture's nest, And found a trembling dove within; Thine, thine the victory-thine the sinIf Love hath made one thought his own, That Vengeance claims first-last-alone! Oh! had we never, never met, Or could this heart e'en now forget How link'd, how bless'd we might have been, In neighboring valleys had we dwelt, At the same kindling altar knelt, — Both, both are ruined if I stay. Farewell, sweet life! thou cling'st in vain. Now, vengeance, I am thine again! And saw, in every smile of thine, While the wrong'd Spirit of our Land Liv'd, look'd, and spoke her wrongs through thee,— God! who could then this sword withstand? Its very flash were victory! But now Far as the estrang'd, divorc'd forever, grasp of Fate can sever; Our only ties what love has wove, In faith, friends, country, sunder'd wide; When false to all that's dear beside! All but that bleeding land for thee. Her widows mourn, her warriors fall, Thou'lt think how well one Gheber lov'd, And for his sake thou'lt weep for all! But look With sudden start he turn'd And pointed to the distant wave, Where lights, like charnel meteors, burn'd And fiery darts, at intervals, 234 Flew up all sparkling from the main, As if each star that nightly falls Were shooting back to heaven again. "My signal lights!-I must awayBoth, both are ruin'd, if I stay. Farewell sweet life! thou cling'st in vain – Now, Vengeance, I am thine again!" Fiercely he broke away, nor stopp'd, While pale and mute young HINDA stood; Startled her from her trance of woe; "I come -I come if in that tide Thou sleep'st to-night, I'll sleep there too, Than the chill wave my love lies under: — Sweeter to rest together dead, Far sweeter, than to live asunder! But no- their hour is not yet come. Again she sees his pinnace fly, Wafting him fleetly to his home, Where'er that ill-starr'd home may lie; And calm and smooth it seem'd to win Nor left one breaking heart behind! |