Loose not a tie that round him clings,
Nor ever let him use his wings;

For ev'n an hour, a minute's flight

Will rob the plumes of half their light.
Like that celestial bird,

whose nest

Is found beneath far Eastern skies,

Whose wings, though radiant when at rest,
Lose all their glory when he flies! *

Some difference, of this dangerous kind,—
By which, though light, the links that bind
The fondest hearts may soon be riven;
Some shadow in Love's summer heaven,
Which, though a fleecy speck at first,
May yet in awful thunder burst;
Such cloud it is that now hangs over
The heart of the Imperial Lover,
And far hath banish'd from his sight
His NOURMAHAL, his Haram's Light!
Hence is it, on this happy night,

When Pleasure through the fields and groves
Has let loose all her world of loves,
And every heart has found its own,
He wanders, joyless and alone,
And weary as that bird of Thrace,

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
This Eden of the Earth supplies

Come crowding round - the cheeks are pale,

The eyes are dim:- though rich the spot
With every flow'r this earth has got,
What is it to the nightingale,

If there his darling rose is not?*
In vain the Valley's smiling throng
Worship him, as he moves along;
He heeds them not one smile of hers
Is worth a world of worshippers.

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,
With no one near, to soothe or aid,
But that inspir'd and wond'rous maid,
NAMOUNA, the Enchantress; one,
O'er whom his race the golden sun
For unremember'd years has run,
Yet never saw her blooming brow
Younger or fairer than 't is now.
Nay, rather, as the west wind's sigh

*"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 leave her lovelier than before.
Yet on her smiles a sadness hung,
And when, as oft, she spoke or sung
Of other worlds, there came a light
From her dark eyes so strangely bright,
That all believ'd nor man nor earth
Were conscious of NAMOUNA's birth!
All spells and talismans she knew,
From the great Mantra*, which around
The Air's sublimer Spirits drew,

To the gold gemst of AFRIC, bound
Upon the wandering Arab's arm,
To keep him from the Siltim's harm.
And she had pledg'd her powerful art, —
Pledg'd it with all the zeal and heart
Of one who knew, though high her sphere,
What 't was to lose a love so dear,

To find some spell that should recall
Her Selim's § smile to NOURMAHAL!

"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,
From timid jasmine buds, that keep

Their odour to themselves all day,

But when the sun-light dies away,
Let the delicious secret out

To every breeze that roams about;-
When thus NAMOUNA:

""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,
To cull each shining leaf that grew

Beneath the moonlight's hallowing beams,

For this enchanted Wreath of Dreams.
Anemones and Seas of Gold,*

And new blown lilies of the river,
And those sweet flow'rets, that unfold

Their buds on CAMADEVA's quiver; t
The tube-rose, with her silvery light,
That in the Gardens of Malay
Is call'd the Mistress of the Night, ‡
So like a bride, scented and bright,

She comes out when the sun's away;
Amaranths, such as crown the maids
That wander through ZAMARA's shades; § -
And the white moon-flower, as it shows,
On SERENDIB's high crags, to those
Who near the isle at evening sail,
Scenting her clove-trees in the gale;
In short all flow'rets and all plants,
From the divine Amrita tree,

* "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.