"Obey'd!-'tis well-yes, I deserve it all "On me, on me heaven's vengeance cannot fall "Too heavily-but Azım, brave and true "And beautiful - must he be ruin'd too? "Must he too, glorious as he is, be driven "A renegade like me from Love and Heaven? "Like me?-weak wretch, I wrong him—not like 66 me; "No-he's all truth and strength and purity! "Pure as when first we met, without a stain! 66 Though ruin'd-lost-my memory, like a charm "Left by the dead, still keeps his soul from harm. "Oh! never let him know how deep the brow "He kiss'd at parting is dishonour'd now "Ne'er tell him how debas'd, how sunk is she, "Whom once he lov'd once! — still loves dotingly! "Thou laugh'st, tormentor, what! - thou'lt brand - in vain — he'll not believe shame my "He thinks me true, that nought beneath God's sky "Could tempt or change me, and—so once thought I. "But this is past-though worse than death my lot, "Than hell - 'tis nothing, while he knows it not. "Far off to some benighted land I'll fly, "Where sunbeam ne'er shall enter till I die; "Where none will ask the lost one whence she came, may fade and fall without a name! "But I "And thou curst man or fiend, whate'er thou art, "Who found'st this burning plague-spot in my heart, "And spread'st it-oh, so quick!-thro' soul and frame "With more than demon's art, till I became "A loathsome thing, all pestilence, all flame!· "If, when I'm gone "Nor tempt my rage "Hold, fearless maniac, hold, by Heav'n not half so bold "The puny bird, that dares with teazing hum 8 8 The ancient story concerning the Trochilus, or humming-bird, entering with impunity into the mouth of the crocodile, is firmly believed at Java. - Barrow's Cochin-china. "And so thou'lt fly, forsooth? — what! 1 Thy chaste dominion in the Haram Hall, "Where now to Love and now to ALLA given, “Pluck'd from his loving folds, as thou from me. "No, no, 'tis fix'd let good or ill betide, } "Thou'rt mine till death, till death MOKANNA's bride! "Hast thou forgot thy oath?" At this dread word, The Maid, whose spirit his rude taunts had stirr❜d "Yes, my sworn Bride, let others seek in bowers "Their bridal place the charnel vault was ours! "Instead of scents and balms, for thee and me "Rose the rich steams of sweet mortality; 66 Gay, flickering death-lights shone while we were wed, "And, for our guests, a row of goodly Dead, (Immortal spirits in their time no doubt,) "From reeking shrouds upon the rite look'd out! "That oath thou heardst more lips than thine repeat "That cup-thou shudderest, Lady was it sweet? "That cup we pledg'd, the charnel's choicest wine, "Hath bound thee aye - body and soul all mine; "Bound thee by chains that, whether blest or curst "No matter now, not hell itself shall burst! "Hence, woman, to the Haram, and look gay, "Look wild, look any thing but sad; yet stay "One moment more - from what this night hath pass'd, "I see thou know'st me, know'st me well at last. "Ha! ha! and so, fond thing, thou thought'st all true, "And that I love mankind! I do, I do "As victims, love them; as the sea-dog doats "Upon the small, sweet fry that round him floats; "Or, as the Nile-bird loves the slime that gives "That rank and venomous food on which she lives!'. 9 Circum easdem ripas (Nili, viz.) ales est Ibis. Ea serpentium populatur ova, gratissimamque ex his escam nidis suis refert. Solinus. 1 } "And, now thou see'st my soul's angelic hue, " 'Tis time these features were uncurtain❜d too; "This brow, whose light—oh rare celestial light! "Hath been reserv'd to bless thy favour'd sight; "These dazzling eyes, before whose shrouded might "Thou'st seen immortal Man kneel down and quake "Would that they were Heaven's lightnings for his sake! "But turn and look then wonder, if thou wilt, "That I should hate, should take revenge, by guilt, He rais'd his veil - the Maid turn'd slowly round, Look'd at him-shriek'd-and sunk upon the ground! |