and the Emperor during a Feast of Roses at Cashmere; and would remind the Princess of that difference between Haroun-al-Raschid and his fair mistress Marida *, which was so happily made up by the soft strains of the musician, Moussali. As the story was chiefly to be told in song, and FERAMORZ had unluckily forgotten his own lute in the valley, he borrowed the vina of LALLA ROOKн's little Persian slave, and thus began. *"Haroun Al Raschid, cinquième Khalife des Abassides, s'étant un jour brouillé avec une de ses maîtresses nommée Maridah, qu'il aimoit cependant jusqu'à l'excès, et cette mésintelligence ayant déjà duré quelque tems commenca à s'ennuyer. Giafar Barmaki, son favori, qui s'en appercût, commanda à Abbas ben Ahnaf, excellent poëte de ce tems-là, de composer quelques vers sur le sujet de cette brouillerie. Ce poète exécuta l'ordre de Giafar, qui'fit chanter ces vers par Moussali en présence du Khalife, et ce prince fut tellement touché de la tendresse des vers du poëte et de la douceur de la voix du musicien qu'il alla aussitôt trouver Maridah, et fit sa paix avec elle." - D'HERBELOT. 245 THE LIGHT OF THE HARAM. WHO has not heard of the Vale of CASHMERE, As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave? Oh! to see it at sunset, - when warm o'er the Lake A last look of her mirror at night ere she goes! When the shrines through the foliage are gleaming half shown, And each hallows the hour by some rites of its own. Here the music of pray'r from a minaret swells, Here the Magian his urn, full of perfume, is swinging, And here, at the altar, a zone of sweet bells Round the waist of some fair Indian dancer is ringing. † Or to see it by moonlight, — when mellowly shines The light o'er its palaces, gardens, and shrines; When the water-falls gleam, like a quick fall of stars, And the nightingale's hymn from the Isle of Chenars Is broken by laughs and light echoes of feet From the cool, shining walks where the young people meet. *"The rose of Kashmire for its brilliancy and delicacy of odour has long been proverbial in the East."- FORSTER. "Tied round her waist the zone of bells, that sounded with ravishing melody."— Song of Jayadeva. Or at morn, when the magic of daylight awakes And Day, with his banner of radiance unfurl'd, But never yet, by night or day, With quicker spread each heart uncloses, The Valley holds its Feast of Roses; † "The little isles in the Lake of Cachemire are set with arbours and largeleaved aspen-trees, slender and tall."-BErnier. "The Tuckt Suliman, the name bestowed by the Mahommetans on this hill, forms one side of a grand portal to the Lake."—FORSTER. "The Feast of Roses continues the whole time of their remaining in bloom." PIETRO DE LA VALLE. Hearts open, like the Season's Rose, The Flow'ret of a hundred leaves, * "T was when the hour of evening came Behind the palms of BARAMOULE, † When saffron-beds are full in flower, And fields and pathways, far and near, That you could see, in wandering round, * “Gul sad berk, the Rose of a hundred leaves. I believe a particular species.' -OUSELEY. ↑ Bernier. A place mentioned in the Toozek Jehangeery, or Memoirs of Jehanguire, where there is an account of the beds of saffron-flowers about Cashmere. Yet did the maids and matrons leave And all exclaim'd to all they met, That never did the summer bring So gay The moon had never shed a light So clear as that which bless'd them there; Nor they themselves look'd half so fair. And what a wilderness of flowers! It seem'd as though from all the bowers *"It is the custom among the women to employ the Maazeen to chaunt from the gallery of the nearest minaret, which on that occasion is illuminated, and the women assembled at the house respond at intervals with a ziraleet or joyous chorus."-RUSSEL. |