Loose not a tie that round him clings, For ev'n an hour, a minute's flight Will rob the plumes of half their light. whose nest Is found beneath far Eastern skies, Whose wings, though radiant when at rest, Some difference, of this dangerous kind,— When Pleasure through the fields and groves Whose pinion knows no resting-place. † *“Among the birds of Tonquin is a species of goldfinch, which sings so melodiously that it is called the Celestial Bird. Its wings, when it is perched, appear variegated with beautiful colours, but when it flies they lose all their splendour." GROSIER. † "As these birds on the Bosphorus are never known to rest, they are called by the French les âmes damnées."-DALLOWAY. In vain the loveliest cheeks and eyes Come crowding round - the cheeks are pale, The eyes are dim:- though rich the spot If there his darling rose is not?* They but the Star's adorers are, She is the Heav'n that lights the Star! Hence is it, too, that NOURMAHAL, Amid the luxuries of this hour, Far from the joyous festival, Sits in her own sequetser'd bower, *"You may place a hundred handfuls of fragrant herbs and flowers before the nightingale, yet he wishes not, in his constant heart, for more than the sweet breath of his beloved rose."- JAMI. Time's wing but seem'd, in stealing o'er, To the gold gemst of AFRIC, bound To find some spell that should recall "T was midnight-through the lattice, wreath'd With woodbine, many a perfume breath'd "He is said to have found the great Mantra, spell or talisman, through which he ruled over the elements and spirits of all denominations."-WILFORD. "The gold jewels of Jinnie, which are called by the Arabs El Herrez, from the supposed charm they contain." JACKSON. SON. "A demon, supposed to haunt woods, &c. in a human shape.". § The name of Jehanguire before his accession to the throne. RICHARD From plants that wake when others sleep, Their odour to themselves all day, But when the sun-light dies away, To every breeze that roams about;- ""Tis the hour "That scatters spells on herb and flower, "And garlands might be gather'd now, "That, twin'd around the sleeper's brow, "Would make him dream of such delights, "Such miracles and dazzling sights, "As Genii of the Sun behold, "At evening, from their tents of gold "Upon the' horizon where they play "Till twilight comes, and, ray by ray, "Their sunny mansions melt away. "Now, too, a chaplet might be wreath'd « Of buds o'er which the moon has breath'd, "Which worn by her, whose love has stray'd, 66 Might bring some Peri from the skies, "Some sprite, whose very soul is made Of flow'rets' breaths and lovers' sighs, "And who might tell "For me, for me," Cried NOURMAHAL impatiently, "Oh! twine that wreath for me to-night." Then, rapidly, with foot as light As the young musk-roe's, out she flew, Beneath the moonlight's hallowing beams, For this enchanted Wreath of Dreams. And new blown lilies of the river, Their buds on CAMADEVA's quiver; t She comes out when the sun's away; * "Hemasagara, or the Sea of Gold, with flowers of the brightest gold colour. -SIR W. JONES. "This tree (Nagacesara) is one of the most delightful on earth, and the delicious odour of its blossoms justly gives them a place in the quiver of Camadeva, or the God of Love." - ID. "The Malayans style the tube-rose (Polianthes tuberosa) Sandal Malam, or the Mistress of the Night."-Pennant. § The people of the Batta country in Sumatra (of which Zamara is one of the ancient names), "when not engaged in war, lead an idle inactive life, passing the day in playing on a kind of flute, crowned with garlands of flowers, among which the globe-amaranthus, a native of the country, mostly prevails."-MARS DEN. "The largest and richest sort (of the Jambu or rose-apple) is called Amrita, or immortal, and the mythologists of Tibet apply the same word to a celestial tree, bearing ambrosial fruit."-SIR W. JONES. |