hands had erected pillars ornamented with the most beautiful porcelain, which now supplied the use of mirrors to the young maidens, as they adjusted their hair in descending from the palankeens. Here while, as usual, the Princess sat listening anxiously, with FADLADEEN in one of his loftiest moods of criticism by her side, the young Poet, leaning against a branch of the tree, thus continued his story; THE morn hath risen clear and calm, For gentle skies and breezes fair! I The Persian Gulf.. "To dive for pearls in the Green Sea, or Persian Gulf.”. Sir W. Jones. 2 Islands in the Gulf. 3 Or Selemeh, the genuine name of neadland at the entrance of the Gulf, commonly called Cape Musseldom. "The Indians, when they pass the promontory, throw cocoa-nuts, fruits, or flowers into the sea, to secure a propitious voyage.” ― Morier. The nightingale now bends her flight She sung so sweet, with none to listen; Where thickets of pomegranate glisten In the clear dawn, bespangled o'er With dew, whose night-drops would not stain The best and brightest scimitar * That ever youthful Sultan wore On the first morning of his reign! And see - the Sun himself! on wings Of glory up the East he springs. Angel of Light! who from the time Those heavens began their march sublime, Hath first of all the starry choir Trod in his Maker's steps of fire! Where are the days, thou wondrous sphere, When IRAN, like a sun-flower, turn'd To meet that eye where'er it burn'd?. When, from the banks of BEndemeer "the 4 In speaking of the climate of Shiraz, Francklin says, dew is of such a pure nature, that, if the brightest scimitar should be exposed to it all night, it would not receive the least rust." To the nut-groves of SAMARCAND Thy temples flam'd o'er all the land? Where are they? ask the shades of them Saw fierce invaders pluck the gem From IRAN's broken 'diadem, And bind her ancient faith in chains: Ask the poor exile, cast alone On foreign shores, unlov'd, unknown, Or on the snowy Mossian mountains, Far from his beauteous land of dates, Her jasmine bowers and sunny fountains! His own belov'd but blighted sod, That crouches to the conqueror's creed ! 5 The place where the Persians were finally defeated by the Arabs, and their ancient monarchy destroyed. 6 Derbend. "Les Turcs appellent cette ville Demir Capi, Porte de Fer; ce sont les Caspiæ Portæ des anciens.” — D'Herbelot. Is IRAN's pride then gone for ever, Quench'd with the flame in MITHRA'S caves? No she has sons that never never Will stoop to be the Moslem's slaves, While heav'n has light or earth has graves. Spirits of fire, that brood not long, But flash resentment back for wrong; And hearts where, slow but deep, the seeds Till, in some treacherous hour of calm, Yes, EMIR! he, who scal'd that tower, And, had he reach'd thy slumbering breast, Had taught thee, in a Gheber's power How safe ev'n tyrant heads may rest -- 7 The Talpot or Talipot tree. "This beautiful palm-tree, which grows in the heart of the forests, may be classed among the loftiest trees, and becomes still higher when on the point of bursting forth from its leafy summit. The sheath which then envelopes the flower is very large, and, when it bursts, makes an explosion like the report of a cannon.” Thunberg. |