His bloody boast was all too true- Left on the field last dreadful night, And, while the few, who thence return'd Oh for a tongue to curse the slave, With joys, that vanish while he sips, Like Dead-Sea fruits, that tempt the eye But turn to ashes on the lips! His country's curse, his children's shame, Beholding heaven, and feeling hell! LALLA ROOKH had had a dream the night before, which, in spite of the impending fate of poor HAFED, made her heart more than usually cheerful during the morning, and gave her cheeks all the freshened animation of a flower that the Bid-musk has just passed over. She fancied that she was sailing on that Eastern Ocean, where the sea-gipsies, who live for ever on the water, enjoy a perpetual summer in wandering from isle to ilse, when she saw a small gilded bark approaching her. It was like one of those boats which the Maldivian islanders annually send adrift, at the mercy of winds and waves, loaded with perfumes, flowers, and odoriferous wood, as an offering to the Spirit whom they call King of the Sea. At first, this little bark appeared to be empty, but, on coming nearer She had proceeded thus far in relating the dream to her Ladies, when FERAMORZ appeared at the door of the pavilion. In his presence, of course, every thing else was forgotten, and the continuance of the story was instantly requested by all. Fresh wood of aloes was set to burn in the cassolets; the violet sherbets were hastily handed round, and, after a short prelude on his lute, in the pathetic measure of Nava, which is always used to express the lamentations of absent lovers, the Poet thus continued: THE day is lowering-stilly black Sleeps the grim wave, while heaven's rack, There's not a cloud in that blue plain Of a young war-horse in the blast; There, roll❜d in masses dark and swelling, As proud to be the thunder's dwelling! Whilst some, already burst and riven, Seem melting down the verge of heaven; As though the infant storm had rent The mighty womb that gave him birth, And, having swept the firmament, Was now in fierce career for earth. And all was boding, drear and dark Nor friends upon the lessening strand And where was stern AL HASSAN then? "The Easterns used to set out on their longer voyages with music."-Harmer. The Gate of Tears, the straits or passage into the Red Sea, commonly called Babelmandel. It received this name from the old Arabians, on account of the danger of the navigation, and the number of shipwrecks by which it was distinguished; which induced them to consider as dead, and to wear mourning for all who had the boldness to hazard the passage through it into the Ethiopic ocean."-Richardson. |