Abash'd, when he her glances caught,

As if he guess'd whose form they sought.

The vision, that before her shone

Through all the maze of blood and storm,
Is fled 'twas but a phantom form-

One of those passing, rainbow dreams,

Half light, half shade, which Fancy's beams
Paint on the fleeting mists that roll

In trance or slumber round the soul !

But now the bark, with livelier bound,

Scales the blue wave the crew's in motion

The oars are out, and with light sound

Break the bright mirror of the ocean, Scattering its brilliant fragments round. And now she sees - with horror sees

Their course is tow'rd that mountain hold,-
Those towers, that make her life-blood freeze,
Where MECCA's godless enemies

Lie, like beleagur'd scorpions, roll❜d

In their last deadly, venomous fold!

Amid the' illumin'd land and flood
Sunless that mighty mountain stood;
Save where, above its awful head,
There shone a flaming cloud, blood-red,
As 'twere the flag of destiny

Hung out to mark where death would be!

Had her bewilder'd mind the power

Of thought in this terrific hour,

She well might marvel where or how

Man's foot could scale that mountain's brow;

Since ne'er had Arab heard or known

Of path but through the glen alone. -
But every thought was lost in fear,

When, as their bounding bark drew near
The craggy base, she felt the waves
Hurry them tow'rd those dismal caves
That from the Deep in windings pass
Beneath that Mount's volcanic mass
And loud a voice on deck commands
To lower the mast and light the brands!

Instantly o'er the dashing tide

Within a cavern's mouth they glide,

Gloomy as that eternal Porch,

Through which departed spirits go;

Not ev❜n the flare of brand and torch
Its flickering light could further throw
Than the thick flood that boil'd below.
Silent they floated

-

as if each

Sat breathless, and too aw'd for speech
In that dark chasm, where even sound

Seem'd dark, --so sullenly around
The goblin echoes of the cave

Mutter'd it o'er the long black wave,

As 'twere some secret of the grave!

But soft they pause the current turns

Beneath them from its onward track;

Some mighty, unseen barrier spurns

The vexed tide, all foaming, back,

And scarce the oar's redoubled force
Can stem the eddy's whirling force;
When, hark! some desperate foot has sprung
Among the rocks -- the chain is flung-
The oars are up the grapple clings,

And the toss'd bark in moorings swings.

Just then, a day-beam through the shade
Broke tremulous- but, ere the maid
Can see from whence the brightness steals,
Upon her brow she shuddering feels
A viewless hand, that promptly ties
A bandage round her burning eyes ;
While the rude litter where she lies,
Uplifted by the warrior throng,

O'er the steep rocks is borne along.

Blest power of sunshine! genial Day,
What balm, what life is in thy ray !
To feel thee is such real bliss,

That had the world no joy but this,
To sit in sunshine calm and sweet,
It were a world too exquisite
For man to leave it for the gloom,
The deep, cold shadow of the tomb!
Ev'n HINDA, though she saw not, where
Or whither wound the perilous road,
Yet knew by that awakening air,
Which suddenly around her glow'd,

R

That they had ris'n from darkness then,
And breath'd the sunny world again!

But soon this balmy freshness fled
For now the steepy labyrinth led
Through damp and gloom
And fall of loosen'd crags that rouse

-'mid crash of boughs,

The leopard from his hungry sleep,

Who, starting, thinks each crag a prey,
And long is heard from steep to steep,
Chasing them down their thundering way!

The jackal's cry-the distant moan
Of the hyæna, fierce and lone; —
And that eternal, saddening sound

Of torrents in the glen beneath,

As 'twere the ever-dark Profound

That rolls beneath the Bridge of Death!

All, all is fearful-ev'n to see,

To gaze on those terrific things

She now but blindly hears, would be
Relief to her imaginings!

Since never yet was shape so dread,

But Fancy, thus in darkness thrown,