Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

"Hath inspiration in its rosy beam

"Beyond the' Enthusiast's hope or Prophet's dream;
"Light of the Faith! who twin'st religion's zeal

"So close with love's, men know not which they feel,
"Nor which to sigh for, in their trance of heart,
"The heav'n thou preachest or the heav'n thou art!
"What should I be without thee? without thee
"How dull were power, how joyless victory!
"Though borne by angels, if that smile of thine
"Bless'd not my banner, 't were but half divine.

"But

why so mournful, child? those eyes, that shone "All life last night—what! - is their glory gone? "Come, come this morn's fatigue hath made them pale, "They want rekindling-suns themselves would fail "Did not their comets bring, as I to thee,

'

"From light's own fount supplies of brilliancy.

"Thou seest this cup no juice of earth is here,
"But the pure waters of that upper sphere,
"Whose rills o'er ruby beds and topaz flow,

"Catching the gem's bright colour, as they go.
'Nightly my Genii come and fill these urns

66

"Nay, drink-in every drop life's essence burns;
""T will make that soul all fire, those eyes all light

"Come, come, I want thy loveliest smiles to-night:
"There is a youth - why start?-thou saw'st him then;
"Look'd he not boldly? such the godlike men
"Thou'lt have to woo thee in the bowers above;-
"Though he, I fear, hath thoughts too stern for love,
"Too rul'd by that cold enemy of bliss

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

Nay, shrink not, pretty sage! 't is not for thee "To scan the mazes of Heav'ns mystery:

"The steel must pass through fire, ere it can yield "Fit instruments for mighty hands to wield. "This very night I mean to try the art "Of powerful beauty on that warriors heart. "All that my Haram boasts of bloom and wit, "Of skill and charms, most rare and exquisite, "Shall tempt the boy; - young MIRZALA's blue eyes, "Whose sleepy lid like snow on violets lies; "AROUYA'S cheeks, warm as a spring-day sun, "And lips that, like the seal of SOLOMON, “Have magic in their pressure; ZEBA's lute,

"And LILLA's dancing feet, that gleam and shoot

66

Rapid and white as sea-birds o'er the deep

"All shall combine their witching powers to steep

66

"My convert's spirit in that softening trance,

"From which to heav'n is but the next advance;

[ocr errors]

"That glowing, yielding, fusion of the breast,

"On which Religion stamps her image best.

"But hear me Priestess!

though each nymph of these "Hath some peculiar, practis'd power to please, "Some glance or step which, at the mirror tried, "First charms herself, then all the world beside; "There still wants one, to make the victory sure, "One who in every look joins every lure; "Through whom all beauty's beams concenter'd pass, "Dazzling and warm, as through love's burning glass; "Whose gentle lips persuade without a word, "Whose words, ev'n when unmeaning, are ador'd,

"Like inarticulate breathings from a shrine,

“Which our faith takes for granted are divine!

"Such is the nymph we want, all warmth and light, "To crown the rich temptations of to-night;

"Such the refin'd enchantress that must be

"This hero's vanquisher,

and thou art she!"

With her hands clasp'd, her lips apart and pale,

The maid had stood, gazing upon the Veil

From which these words, like south winds through a fence Of Kerzrah flow'rs, came fill'd with pestilence; *

So boldly utter'd too! as if all dread

Of frowns from her, of virtuous frowns, were fled,
And the wretch felt assur'd that, once plung'd in,
Her woman's soul would know no pause in sin!

At first, tho' mute she listen'd, like a dream Seem'd all he said: nor could her mind, whose beam As yet was weak, penetrate half his scheme.

But when, at length, he utter'd, "Thou art she!"
All flash'd at once, and shrieking piteously,

"Oh not for worlds!" she cried

"I once knelt innocent, is this my

Great God! to whom

doom?

"Are all my dreams, my hopes of heavenly bliss,

"My purity, my pride, then come to this,

“To live, the wanton of a fiend! to be

"The pander of his guilt — oh infamy!

"It is commonly said in Persia, that if a man breathe in the hot south wind which in June or July passes over that flower (the Kerzereh), it will kill him." - THEVENOT.

"And sunk, myself, as low as hell can steep
"In its hot flood, drag others down as deep!
"Others ha! yes - that youth who came to-day
"Not him I lov'd not him -oh! do but say,

"But swear to me this moment 't is not he,

“And I will serve, dark fiend, will worship even thee!"

"Beware, young raving thing!-in time beware,
"Nor utter what I cannot, must not bear,
"Ev'n from thy lips. Go try thy lute, thy voice,
"The boy must feel their magic; - I rejoice
"To see those fires, no matter whence they rise,
"Once more illuming my fair Priestess' eyes;
"And should the youth, whom soon those eyes shall

warm,

"Indeed resemble thy dead lover's form,

"So much the happier wilt thou find thy doom, "As one warm lover, full of life and bloom,

"Excels ten thousand cold ones in the tomb.

"Nay, nay, no frowning, sweet! - those eyes were

[blocks in formation]

“On me, on me Heaven's vengeance cannot fall "Too heavily-but Azıм, 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 me; "No-he's all truth and strength and purity!

"Fill up your madd'ning hell-cup to the brim,
"Its witchery, fiends, will have no charm for him.
"Let loose your glowing wantons from their bowers,
"He loves, he loves, and can defy their powers!
"Wretch as I am, in his heart still I reign

"Pure as when first we met, without a stain!

[ocr errors]

Though ruin'd—lost

[ocr errors]

- 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 my name?

"Do, do

[ocr errors]

in vain - he'll not believe my shame "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,

"But I may fade and fall without a name.

"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!

[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

"Nor tempt my rage — by Heaven, not half so bold

« ForrigeFortsæt »