Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

'But dreadful is the task. If any fear

'Can quell thy heart, forbear, my son, forbear.

If love of selfish pleasure taint thy mind,

Hope not the guerdon of the brave to find.

'But, if thy conscious virtue bid thee dare,
Proceed. To Cairo's walls again repair.
There does my faithful slave Mobarrek dwell;
'He shall thy course direct, and counsel well
• What rite mysterious may the pow'r incline,
Propitious to assist thy great design.'
The voice was heard no more, the vision fled,
The monarch rose, astonish'd, not dismay'd.
With awe the royal mother heard the tale,
Respect and duty o'er her fears prevail;

[ocr errors]

Proceed, my son, with falt'ring tongue she said,

Thy sire has spoken. Be his will obey'd.

While yet he liv'd, how glorious was his place,

More wise esteem'd than all of human race.

Now purified by death, and blest above,

• Perfect his knowledge, and unchang'd his love."

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Joyful he heard, and with undaunted breast,
And foot unweary'd, his bold journey prest,
Exploring o'er the pathless waste his way,

By the moon's nightly course, or starry ray;
The blush of orient morn, or closing day,

Till, glitt'ring far and wide upon the plain,

Cairo appears, and gives him rest again.

1

Warn'd from above, the slave, with duteous care,

Attends, and hails his master's royal heir.

Prostrate before the prince's feet he lay,

And clasp'd his knees, and thus began to say.

Before the order of the years began,c

And, at the voice of God, predestin'd man,

Rose into life, a race of heav'nly birth,

Fairies and dives possess'd the fertile earth.

These, of stupendous force and haughty air;
More gentle those, and more divinely fair.

c Fairies and genii are part of the popular belief of the east, The whole of this mythology may be found in d'Herbelot. These verses give a very full and accurate account of it,

But soon with bliss corrupted, swoln with pride, • Their senseless rage the Lord of heav'n defy'd.

Then earth through all her regions felt alarm, 'Then wrath awak'd, and vengeance rais'd his arm. The sun was dark, convulsion shook the ground, The roaring world of waters burst its mound; • From ev'ry quarter of the louring sky

'Rush'd the fierce winds, commission'd to destroy;

'Th' eternal barrier which surrounds the world,

'Kâf's mighty mass, was in confusion hurl'd:

• With thunder shook the universal frame, 'And heav'n was pour'd on earth in floods of flame. The rebel crew lay vanquish'd. Some, o'erthrown, 'Beneath incumbent mountains writhe and groan :

Some, pierc'd with lightning, feel in ev'ry vein

The burning plague's intolerable pain.

'O'er these, the free and glorious now no more,

[ocr errors]

A mighty angel holds imperial pow'r;

(Such doom did heav'n impose,) whose rigid sway, Reluctant still, the gloomy dives obey;

Less obstinate in ill, the fairy train

< From this stern lord a milder lot obtain:

'But his vain heart glows with ambitious fire, And dares to independent rule aspire,

He tasks their qualities to make him great; 'Conscious of power, assumes a godlike state;

[ocr errors]

And, confident and proud, his force compares

< With Him, whose dread right arm the thunder bears:

[ocr errors]

Then from the dust, on which the boaster trod,

Rose a new creature at the word of God.

⚫ God bade him reign, and haughty Eblis bow Before him, and on earth a master know.

But the proud son of fire with fury burn'd

'Rebellious, and defiance fierce return'd.

[ocr errors]

Then from his high and glorious state he fell,

To reign in torments, amid night and hell;

With him the dives, perverse and impious crew;

The gentle fairies trembled and withdrew,

For them the holy city's lord, the son

'Of righteous David, grace and favour won;

[ocr errors][merged small]

• Ön Kâf's extremest verge, a fair abode;

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

To man they minister with kindly care,

Lead on the spring, and crown the ripen'd year.
Thy noble sire, in every art approv'd

That fits a prince, the king of fairy lov'd.
Through him the four bright images were gain'd:

"Through him alone the fifth must be obtain❜d."

[ocr errors]

Delay no more,' th' impatient youth exclaims,

While hope and strong desire his breast inflames:

"Be thou my guide. Though stern athwart my way 'Danger stand frowning, me no threats dismay.

My hope, my heart, th' adventure will require,

The daring deed the fairy shall admire,

And bless the son who emulates his sire.'

Sighing, Mobarrek bow'd, and smote his breast,

While tears the anguish of his soul confest.

[ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »