A heart of stone, she shriek'd his name To the dark woods no HAFED came: No-hapless pair-you've look'd your last: Your hearts should both have broken then: The dream is o'er -your doom is cast You'll never meet on earth again! Alas for him, who hears her cries Still half-way down the steep he stands, Watching with fix'd and feverish eyes The glimmer of those burning brands, That down the rocks, with mournful ray, Light all he loves on earth away! Hopeless as they who, far at sea, By the cold moon have just consign'd To the bleak flood they leave behind; From the land-side it comes, and loud Rings through the chasm; as if the crowd "They come - the Moslems come!" - he cries, His proud soul mounting to his eyes,— "Now, Spirits of the Brave, who roam "Enfranchis'd through yon starry dome, "Rejoice for souls of kindred fire "Are on the wing to join your choir!" He said—and, light as bridegrooms bound To their young loves, reclimb'd the steep And gain'd the Shrine - his Chiefs stood roundTheir swords as with instinctive leap, Together, at that cry accurst, Had from their sheaths, like sunbeams, burst, Peal through the chasm-oh! who that then With their swords grasp'd, their eyes of flame "What! while our arms can wield these blades, "Shall we die tamely? die alone? "Without one victim to our shades, "One Moslem heart, where, buried deep, "The sabre from its toil may sleep? "No-God of IRAN's burning skies! "Thou scorn'st the' inglorious sacrifice. "No-though of all earth's hope bereft, "Life, swords, and vengeance still are left. "We'll make yon valley's reeking caves "Follow brave hearts! — this pile remains “Our refuge still from life and chains; Down the precipitous rocks they sprung, Track'd by his torches' lurid fire, Wound slow, as through GOLCONDA's vale* The mighty serpent, in his ire, Glides on with glittering, deadly trail. No torch the Ghebers need so well They know each mystery of the dell, So oft have, in their wanderings, Cross'd the wild race that round them dwell, The very tigers from their delves Look out, and let them pass, as things There was a deep ravine, that lay The many fall'n before the few * See Hoole upon the Story of Sinbad. The torrents from that morning's sky Huge cliffs and toppling crags were pil'd, — So anxiously, the carrion-bird They come that plunge into the water Gives signal for the work of slaughter. Had point or prowess, prove them now Woe to the file that foremost wades! They come a falchion greets each brow, And, as they tumble, trunk on trunk, Beneath the gory waters sunk, Still o'er their drowning bodies press New victims quick and numberless; Till scarce an arm in HAFED's band, So fierce their toil, hath power to stir, But listless from each crimson hand The sword hangs, clogg'd with massacre. Never was horde of tyrants met With bloodier welcome never yet To patriot vengeance hath the sword More terrible libations pour'd! All up the dreary, long ravine, Of half-quench'd brands, that o'er the flood From the toss'd brands that round them fly, "Twixt flood and flame in shrieks expire; And some who, grasp'd by those that die, Sink woundless with them, smother'd o'er In their dead brethren's gushing gore! But vainly hundreds, thousands bleed, Till bridg'd with Moslem bodies o'er, Whose swords how keen, how fierce they knew, And burn with shame to find how few. |