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Every precious flower was there to be found, that poetry, or love, or religion has ever consecrated; from the dark hyacinth, to which Hafez compares his mistress's hair,156 to the Cámalatá, by whose rosy blossoms the heaven of Indra is scented. 157 As they sat in the cool fragrance of this delicious spot, and LALLA ROOKH remarked that she could fancy it the abode of that Flower-loving Nymph whom they worship in the temples of Kathay,158 or of one of those Peris, those beautiful creatures of the air, who live upon perfumes, and to whom a place like this might make some amends for the Paradise they have lost,-the young Poet, in whose eyes she appeared, while she spoke, to be one of the bright spiritual creatures she was describing, said hesitatingly that he remembered a Story of a Peri, which, if the Princess had no objection, he would venture to relate. "It is," said he, with an appealing look to FADLADEEN, "in a lighter and humbler strain than the other ;" then, striking a few careless but melancholy chords on his kitar, he thus began :

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And as she listen'd to the Springs

Of Life within, like music flowing,
And caught the light upon her wings
Through the half-open portal glowing,
She wept to think her recreant race
Should e'er have lost that glorious place!

"How happy," exclaim'd this child of air, "Are the holy Spirits who wander there,

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"Mid flowers that never shall fade or fall;

Though mine are the gardens of earth and sea, "And the stars themselves have flowers for me,

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"One blossom of Heaven outblooms them all!

Though sunny the Lake of cool CASHMERE, "With its plane-tree Isle reflected clear, 159

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"And sweetly the founts of that Valley fall;

Though bright are the waters of SING-SU-HAY, "And the golden floods that thitherward stray,' "Yet-oh, 'tis only the Blest can say

160

"How the waters of Heaven outshine them all!

"Go, wing thy flight from star to star,
"From world to luminous world, as far

"As the universe spreads its flaming wall: "Take all the pleasures of all the spheres, "And multiply each through endless years, "One minute of Heaven is worth them all!"

The glorious Angel, who was keeping
The gates of Light, beheld her weeping;
And, as he nearer drew and listen'd
To her sad song, a tear-drop glisten'd

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